Sublunary Sphere
by JJOAS
Summary: "About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward and his family were vampires. Second, everything I knew about the world was wrong. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably screwed." Warning: Alternate Universe. Magic exists and vampires do not sparkle here. A Twilight Retelling. Under Revision.
1. Chapter 1

**Sublunary Sphere**

The original story and original world belongs to Stephanie Meyer

Any quotes and characters from the original Twilight belong to the aforementioned author.

No copyright infringement was intended throughout this story. Anything that doesn't belong to me belongs to its original creator and this story wasn't meant to be for any profit.

 **Summary**

" _About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward and his family were vampires. Second, everything I knew about the world was wrong. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably screwed."_

Life is defined by a lot of things, but conception is defined by which sperm beat the insurmountable odds to reach a female's egg. In this dimension a different sperm _did_ penetrate the egg, which produced a very different little girl in a very different world. Warning: Alternate Universe. Magic exists and vampires _do not_ sparkle here.

 **1\. The First Step**

My mom drove me to the airport with the windows rolled all the way down. I glanced up at the clear blue sky and relished how the wind blew through my long hair. A couple strands got into my mouth now and again, but it was worth the slight irritation to feel the air rush around me. It was a scorching seventy-five degrees in Phoenix; a heat that was only bearable with the cool breeze moving throughout the car. My mom had decided to save gas instead of using her air conditioner, which was just as well. I liked feeling the open air better anyways.

My legs still ached now and again during the drive up, but I supposed it couldn't have been helped. I watched everything blur by as we sped along. Now and again I glanced at my mom and shot her a reassuring smile. She beamed at me hollowly. I knew that she wasn't that thrilled with this decision. On the bright side, I could see my dad again. On the downside...I wouldn't be able to see my mom, in the flesh, for a while. In any case, I didn't have much of a real choice in where I was going. My doctor _had_ said, I needed a _sedate_ place to heal. Somewhere away from the city, somewhere slow, but somewhere that I was _familiar_ with.

I sighed and turned away from her resigned stare. I needed a way to distract myself. I looked down at my android phone and tapped in my dad's address. The expanse of the Northern-west Washington State popped up before it zoomed in onto a small town; Forks. When I usually visited my dad I had found that it was almost under a near-constant cover of clouds, usually rain clouds, most of the time. This was fine with me since I loved how green it all was. It was always so full of life. We didn't really have that here in Phoenix often, in my opinion any ways.

The contrast between the two places reminded me of the contrast between my two parents. My mom; a sunny, and energized quirky woman. My dad; a steady, and nurturing man. A man that didn't deserve to get left behind. My mom had left their small town with me in tow, where she and dad had both grown up in, when I was about five years old after both my grandparents died in a sudden accident. My dad had always told me that it was because of a drunk driver. My mom blamed it on Forks and had decided it was too dangerous to stay. I didn't really think that Forks was dangerous at all though. It was certainly considered to be safer than Phoenix. Whenever I stated that, my mom would just say that the entire place made her uncomfortable and to just drop it. I guess that was understandable. I had spent my entire summer vacations with my dad ever since I was seven, so I didn't feel uncomfortable or scared there at all. It was my favorite tradition. A tradition that had yet to end. Well...technically it was ending...sort of.

We came to a slow halt as we parked in the airport parkade, and I felt my mom's hand on my shoulder, "Eliza?"

I unbuckled my seat belt and turned to her giving her a lopsided grin, "Yes, mom?"

She took me into her arms; another one of her surprise hugs, and whispered into my shoulder, "You don't have to go." She was always a little clingy when it came to my leaving.

I rubbed her back as I hugged her, "You know that I'll _always_ come back, mom. No worries."

She sniffled and leaned back as she let go of me. Her smile was watery, "You always say that."

I flinched at that reminder. That was just another reason as to why I had to leave Phoenix. It would just be better if I was somewhere far away from where _IT_ happened.

I took in my mother's face and managed to calm my sudden doubts. Everyone always said that I looked like her with the exception of my eyes; they were the exact shade of blue as my dad's. As we got out of the car I felt a spasm of sadness as I stared at her lithe form. How could I leave my loving, quirky, mom alone for longer than a summer? Of course, now she had Phil to keep her company, but I bet that he wouldn't be any sort of replacement for me...right? My mother always had difficulty with keeping close friends, so all she had in that department was me. I bit my lip at that thought and shook my head. She was a grown ass woman. She'd be fine. Besides, we had the phone and Skype. Everything would be _fine_.

"I need to go now, mom. Besides, I bet dad is going to be glad to have me for more than two months a year. Doesn't dad deserve to be happy too?" I lugged out my rainbow colored suitcase out of the trunk of the car, and threw a bright grin over my shoulder.

She pouted and let out a resigned sigh as we walked through the airport towards the departure terminal, "Yeah...I guess so. Well then. Tell you father I said, hi."

"I will", I nodded as my suitcase rolled on behind me. I tightened my anorak, one that she had recently bought me, around my waist and soon enough we stood before the departure gates.

She stopped me and held me at arms length. I tilted my head, a confused smile affixed onto my face, "Mom?"

"I love you baby girl, more than anything and anyone. More than a million sparkly shoes," she pulled me into an extremely tight hug. As I hugged her back I could feel her shake a little.

I pulled back and kissed her cheek, "I love you too. More than a million apple cinnamon scones."

She nodded and wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, "You'll text me soon."

I laughed and nodded, "Who else would I text from here?" I had a notorious habit of keeping to myself most of the time, so I didn't really have anyone else to text here in Phoenix other than my mother. Besides, the last friends I had made here...well, they didn't really turn out to be friends at all.

She hugged me tightly for a couple minutes before I had to leave. Soon I was on the plane, and it took four hours to fly from Phoenix to Seattle. I then transferred onto a smaller plane to get to Port Angeles. The last leg of my journey was an hour drive down to Forks. Flying this much always made my stomach churn; I wasn't a big fan of heights.

My dad had been really nice about the whole thing. He was excited that I was coming to live with him instead of just visiting him for the summer. He had already gotten me registered for high school, apparently got me _two_ surprises, **and** he had _promised_ that he was going to help me get a car. These were the happy thoughts that I focused on while I was on a cramped plane that, honestly, felt too rickety to fly. The flight only felt worse when the rain started pelting the plane. I wasn't all that religious, but I started to pray out of fear. I didn't know if it helped in the long run, but it certainly made me feel better.

When I landed in Port Angeles, it was still raining as if it was typhoon season in Japan. I took a deep breath and relished the smell of wet earth and plants. For a small airport there was a lot of dirt around here. I pulled out my umbrella and silently thanked my past self for looking into the weather forecast here in Forks. I pulled my anorak closer to my body as I dragged my suit case behind me while I searched for my dad.

He was waiting for me at his police cruiser. I ran towards him and gave him an awkward wave which he happily returned. He kissed my cheek absentmindedly while I hurried into the front seat as he took my suitcase into the trunk of his cruiser. I tucked my thoroughly soaked umbrella onto the ground in front of me, and gratefully slouched into my seat.

My dad slid into the driver's seat and shook his head slightly, letting droplets of water spray everywhere. I let out a laugh, and he cheekily grinned at me. It was always fun hanging out with my dad. I think that was one of the many reasons why I wanted to be a cop. I'd never tell him that though. His head would get too big, which wouldn't help anyone especially since he was Police Chief Kites to the good people of Forks.

"It's good to see you, Eliza," he stated beaming at me before he started up the car. He checked his surroundings before getting onto the road, "You look lovely as ever, sweetie. How's your mom?"

"Mom's fine. It's good to see your lovely self, too, dad", I chuckled and watched the trees blur the scenery into a my favorite shade of green and brown as we sped down the road.

I sighed happily as I felt the heat from the car permeate into my bones. I should've layered on more clothes when I transferred onto the small plane. To my credit, the first plane was a little late, so I didn't really have time. I patted my anorak pocket and double checked that I still had my phone. I had a bad habit of losing it when I wasn't paying attention.

"So, I found a good car for you. It was really cheap," he announced after a brief period of silence.

I tilted my head and gave him a curious glance, "That's great, dad. What kind of car did you find?" Was he trawling craigslist again? He loved getting stuff for free or for cheap. I sometimes thought that he was secretly a hoarder while I was away. I could never figure out where he kept his new treasures though.

"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy," he took a turn down the road and I could see blurry images of buildings go by as we kept driving along towards our destination.

"Where'd you find it?" Soon the buildings started getting further and further apart, which was a telltale sign that we were getting closer to our house.

"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push was a tiny Native America reservation on the coast of Forks, which was just a half hour drive from our place. It had a gorgeous beach and the people there were just as nice.

"No duh, dad," I rolled my eyes and playfully made a face at him. We saw my godfather and godbrother; Jacob, every summer. We caught and ate a lot of fish because of them. It was a good thing I really liked them, otherwise all that fish would've been a deal breaker.

My dad shook his head and laughed before growing strangely silent, "He's in a wheelchair now...he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap when he found out that you wanted a car of your own."

"What happened?" my smile fell off my face as I took in the repercussions of what just happened to my godfather. He'd never get to feel sand or freshly watered grass on his feet. He'd never be able to run, skip, hop, or _dance_ any more. Ever. Fuck.

He let out a bitter laugh, "He won't tell me. It's just as well...you know how I am when it comes to our family friends."

I nodded. Forks didn't need a vigilante. I bit my lip. It probably wouldn't be good to talk about it further. Another topic. We needed a different topic. I worriedly glanced at my dad, "Okay...So, what year is the car?" I could see from his change in expression that this was a question he was hoping I wouldn't ask. Damn. I was hoping to make him feel better, not worse.

I frowned to myself while my dad pasted on a nervous smile, "Well, I think it's an '94 Chevy. The thing runs great especially since Billy and Jake worked on that car on their down time."

"Huh. Are you sure it's okay to buy it from them, dad? It seems like a car they bonded over," I bit my lip and sighed. If my dad and I worked on something, I wouldn't want him to sell it. I bet Jacob felt at least a _little_ similarly.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you...as a homecoming gift,"my dad peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression.

I grinned at him, "That's awesome. Thanks dad. I really appreciate it."

"Well now, you're welcome," he mumbled, flushing slightly as we continued to drive onwards. I inwardly snickered at his reaction. My dad still wasn't used to people thanking him. I don't think he ever would be at this rate.

We exchanged a few more comments about the weather, which was surprisingly _very_ wet today, and that was pretty much it for conversation for the most part. There wasn't much new to say since we stayed in contact throughout the year via Skype. We stared out the windows letting the radio fill the comfortable silence that settled between us.

It was just as beautiful as I remembered. Everything was a vibrant green mixed in with deep earthy browns: the trees; their trunks covered with fine moss, their branches hanging with huge leaves creating a canopy over the road, and the ground covered with ferns. This place would be good for me. A place where I could heal in peace. I felt the slight ache in my legs again and flinched at the reminder as to why I had to be here in the first place.

Eventually we made it home. We stopped in front of our decently sized three bedroom home. My dad had bought it with my mother in the early days of their marriage. I noticed that dad had painted the front door a deep emerald green, one of my favorite colors. I threw him a bewildered look; I kind of liked how red the door was before. What brought on this change? Before I could ask him why, I caught sight of my new - well, new to me - truck.

It was a bright yellow Behemoth, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it driving with the windows down, air just surrounding me. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged - the kind you see at the scene of an accident, with nigh a scratch on it while the other car looked like a crushed accordion.

"Wow, I love it! Thanks dad!" I pulled him into a side hug and stared at my new truck with wide eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," he gruffly stated as he returned my hug with a steady sort of affection.

It took only one trip to lug all my stuff upstairs. I opened up my summer bedroom and took in the smell of peonies, my favorite perfume. It was just as I had left it. I let my luggage thump down onto the foot of my bed and fell onto my fluffy duvet. I inhaled the sweet summer scents that I had become accustomed to with this room while I looked around. The dark wooden floor, the bright white walls, the peaked ceiling, and the sturdy yellow curtains around the window - these were all a part of my childhood. They were the only things that didn't change as I grew older.

My desk still held my first computer, it was from craigslist and cost me and my dad a total of ninety dollars. It was kind of a potato and didn't do much gaming wise, but it was great for basic things like watching Netflix, YouTube, doing homework and searching the web. I planned on getting a better one once I found a job. Anything I couldn't do on it, I could do with my brand new laptop. One of the many gifts that my mom and Phil had packed away in my luggage. I swear, I don't know why she was so worried about me coming here when it wasn't summer. I idly wondered what my dad's other surprise for me was.

One of the best things about my dad was that he didn't hover. Sure he worried about me and he did show more affection than I sometimes expected from him, but he more or less trusted that I could be left alone to my own devices. That was one of the many reasons why I enjoyed my time with him every summer.

He left me alone to unpack and get settled in again. It was nice to be alone with my thoughts. I unzipped my suitcase and steadily put away all my things into my new home base. A card fell out of one of my sweaters and I let out a surprised laugh, mom and Phil had gotten me a two hundred and fifty NCIX card. I shook my head and grinned, so far I really liked their surprises. I'd have to thank them later on. I definitely had to find the nearest NCIX to fix up my computer.

I slipped on my star patterned flannel pajamas and browsed through the Forks High School website on my laptop. I sighed and pulled my hair up into my usual bun while I read through their website. They had a depressing total of three hundred and fifty-seven - now fifty-eight – students. Back in Phoenix there were more than a thousand five hundred people in my high school. All of the kids _here_ had grown up together - their grandparents had been toddlers together I bet. I only knew the kids on the reservation since I didn't usually wander away from my house or the reservation beach during my summer visits.

I sighed inwardly and secured my bun with another elastic from my bedside table. I would be the new girl from the big city; a curiosity, a freak. Maybe, if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should, I could work this to my advantage, but physically, I'd never fit into that stereotype. Based on where I was coming from, I should be tan, sporty, thin, and blonde. A volleyball player or a cheerleader maybe. Characteristics that stereotypically showed that I came from the valley of the sun. I never really fit into that mold though.

Instead, I was pale even when constant sunshine burned me into a crisp. The only result of that much sunlight exposure were the freckles on my nose after my usual sun burn went away. I had never managed the magic art of tanning, and the tanning lotions always left me looking like an Umpa Lumpa. I had always been a little chubby, obviously not an athlete, but you couldn't quite see my fat unless I was naked, in a swim suit, or wearing skin tight clothes. I wasn't blonde and I was glad for it. I think my black hair and blue eyes worked in my favor. I wasn't particularly good or bad at sports, more of a meh. I could run like crazy though. Plus, I was still pretty flexible from all the ballet my mom had forced me through when I was young.

I finished putting my clothes into my old pine dresser before I went into the bathroom. My teeth felt like fuzz, and I hated that. I brushed my teeth with relish and looked at my face in the mirror. I rinsed and spat into the bathroom sink, and took a closer look at myself. I pulled at my cheeks and turned my head from side to side. My skin could be pretty - it was pretty clear today; I was having one of my better days sans acne. I had no color on my cheeks though. I sometimes wished I had a little rosacea like some of the other kids I knew back in Phoenix. I smiled at myself and stared at my favorite feature of my face, my dimples. They were the same dimples my mom had.

Facing my worried reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was very worried that I'd never fit in. I hadn't had to make new _school_ friends for years, and they didn't really turn out to be my friends in the end. More like my almost murders. I didn't relate well to a lot of people when I first met them. Just the thought alone of making new connections with people and the possibility of screwing that up made me anxious. Maybe I didn't relate well to people at all?

I shook my head, willing that idea to dissipate. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain...I didn't normally think like this. I think I just needed some more sleep, and my pain pills. My legs still ached now and again even if they were mostly healed. Sometimes the pain would be too much at night. I suppose that was my fault for trying to fit in with the IT crowd in school. I sighed into my pillows. Well, I would never try doing that stunt again.

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I ingested a T3. The constant uneasiness I felt wouldn't go away and it was starting to freak me out. I pulled my fluffy white duvet over my head, and later added my bright orange owl pillow, too. I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, but the rain settled into a quiet drizzle that managed to lull me into a deep sleep.

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the tendrils of dread creep into my stomach. Fog always reminded me of the Walking Dead or Silent Hill. I had to shake away my irrational fears. Today would be fine and zombie free. Totally. Monsters weren't real.

Breakfast with my dad was the same as ever. It was filled with a comfortable silence as eggs, bacon, beans, and hash browns were devoured. I savored the organic orange juice that he always bought for me every time I was here. He wished me good luck at school and gave me one of his tight worried hugs. I thanked him, although I wasn't as optimistic. I put away all the dishes into the dishwasher, after my dad left.

He never said it, but after mom had left with me in tow, he had made his job the center of his world. I inwardly flinched at that thought and pushed my remaining eggs around my plate. I sat at our old square oak table in one of the four matching chairs and examined our small kitchen. It had light paneled walls, bright blue and yellow cabinets, and a white linoleum floor. Nothing had changed since the last time I was here. My dad and I had painted over the cabinets last summer in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of my mom and dad at the Forks Church with both sets of my grandparents. One with the three of us in the hospital after I was born, probably taken by a helpful nurse. A bunch of photos of us goofing around with my godfather and godbrother came after those photos. They were followed by a procession of my school pictures up to last year. Those were kind of embarrassing to look at, but they still made me feel warm inside. I was glad they were out.

I donned my anorak over my favorite thick sweater and headed out into the rain. I idly wondered if we were going to have our traditionally first dinner takeout of my choice. My mother didn't really like it when I ate take out. Something about MSG and cancer. It was drizzling still when I locked up the house. I had my own spare key; my dad had made me one when I was ten. My yellow rain boots squished and splashed through the puddles that collected on the ground as I strode towards my truck. I sort of missed the normal crunch that gravel made as I walked, but I knew that would fade with time. I didn't pause and admire my truck, as much as I wanted to, since I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet.

Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either my godfather or my dad had obviously cleaned it up, but the black cloth upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, to my relief, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. I beamed down at the radio; I noted that it was the newest thing in this car. It was digital and felt a little out of place, but that just made me love this car even more.

Finding the school wasn't very difficult. Thank God for Google Maps. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It wasn't as ostentatious and large as my previous school, and only the sign out in front really stated it was Forks High School. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. It was a shock not to see a single chain-linked fence or any metal detectors.

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading front office. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I doubted Google Maps had my solution for this.

I stepped out of my toasty truck and walked down a little stone path lined with dark green hedges. I took in a deep breath before opening the door. Inside, it was brightly lit with florescent lights, and much warmer than I'd expected. The office was small; a little waiting area with paisley padded folding chairs, brown linoleum floors, notices and awards cluttered the walls, as a big clock ticked loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots on the side tables and ledges. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing bright pink glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, which immediately made me feel better. This probably meant that the atmosphere here wasn't as strict as I had initially thought.

The red-haired woman looked up and over her glasses at me, "Can I help you, honey?"

"I'm Elizabeth Marabelle Kites," I informed her as I handed her the file that my dad had sent along with me. Immediate awareness lit her eyes. I was expected, the daughter of the Police Chief.

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school, sweetie," she brought several sheets to the counter towards me.

She went through my classes with me, highlighted the best route to each class on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign. I was supposed to bring back said slip at the end of the day. She smiled at me and wished me a good first day of school. I smiled back at her kindness and took my necessary documents wishing her a good day as I walked back to my truck. Other students were starting to arrive, so I drove around the school following the line of traffic.

I noted that most of the cars that flowed into the parking lot were older like mine, nothing flashy. Back in Phoenix I had once lived in one of the lower - income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The only one really nice car here was a Volvo.

I looked at the map in my truck, trying to memorize it all now. Hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of me for the whole day. A girl could hope. I stuffed everything into my backpack, slung the straps over my shoulders, and sucked in a huge breath. I could do this. It's not like anyone was going to bite me. I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck. One step at a time.

I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk trying to dodge the rain. I didn't think it was raining hard enough to warrant an umbrella yet. My army green anorak didn't stand out, I noticed with relief. I was glad I wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb. I was just worrying for no reason. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

Once I went through the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black three was painted on a white square on the east corner. I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I tried holding my breath in to stop my hyperventilation from getting worse as I followed two pink and green raincoats through the door.

The classroom was pretty small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. This was something that kind of weirded me out, but I shrugged inwardly. When in Rome. I copied them and made a note of where I hung my coat. They were two girls; one ebony-colored blonde and the other a pale Asian with light brown hair.

I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name - not an encouraging response - and I felt my face burn. My dad was the Police Chief. He really shouldn't gawk. It wasn't all that surprising. At least that's what I thought, but at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It took the pressure off of being new. I hated being the new kid.

The reading list the teacher had given me was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Faulkner. I'd already read everything last semester back in Phoenix, which was sort of comforting. I grinned inwardly when I recalled that I had packed away all of my school work from the last semester just in case. Who's the crazy one now, mom? I smugly smiled to myself before my face fell a little. I couldn't really tease her and playfully gloat all the way over here right now...not really any ways.

When the bell chimed, a gangly Asian boy with patches of acne and oily black hair leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"You're Elizabeth Kites, aren't you?" he asked, his grin dimpled his face. Word really got around here fast.

I smiled and nodded, "My friends call me Eliza." Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me. That was kind of weird.

He nodded while we were all got up to leave the room. He stuck by me and asked, "Where's your next class?"

I pulled my schedule out of my jean pocket and quickly glanced at it, "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."

"I'm headed toward building four, so I could show you the way..." he nervously smiled at me once we made it out of the classroom. We got our jackets and headed out into the drizzling rain. He thrust his hand out towards me, "I'm Eric."

I laughed and shook his hand gently, "Thanks, Eric." I really hoped that I would remember his name later on. He seemed pretty nice.

While we went through the crowds some students shot us curious looks, but I brushed their stares away. Being new would soon lose its appeal eventually. At least that's what I told myself while we walked onward.

"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked giving me an awkward smile. A smile that I was all too familiar with now.

I nodded and looked around. The lockers were weirdly spaced here, "Very much so. Especially since it doesn't rain much there. It only rains there like three or four times a year."

"Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered out loud as we pushed through a rather large crowd of tittering girls.

I chuckled and sent him a lopsided grin, "Really sunny and really hot. Like a humid kind of hot a lot of the time."

Eric smiled and nodded before shooting me a curious look, "You don't look very tan."

I snorted and wiggled my fairly thick eyebrows, "My mom is part vampire." Joking aside, I didn't really know why I was so pale since both my dad and mom tanned pretty well. My mom never answered that question whenever I asked her about it.

He studied my face apprehensively, before he let out a slight chortle. We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, "Well, good luck. Maybe we'll have some other classes together."

I nodded as I smiled at him before I went inside, "Bye, Eric!"

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Vanush was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat. He was certainly my least favorite teacher of the day so far.

After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. That was Ashley Something. She didn't really say her last name. I did my best at being the nice polite girl that my parents raised and resisted the strong urge to lie when the questions kept coming. At least I never needed the map.

One girl sat next to me in both my Trig and Spanish classes. She was nice enough to walk with me to the cafeteria at lunch. She was pretty short only reaching five foot three; three inches shorter than my own height, but her wildly curly dark red hair made up a lot of the difference. Her hair reminded me greatly of Merida's hair from the Disney movie Brave. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled on about teachers and classes. I privately called her the Merida double in my head, and hoped that I would recall her name eventually since she was being pretty nice to me.

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. They all looked pretty friendly, expect for the blonde named Lauren. She could just have a resting bitch face though, that happened sometimes. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room. I waved back politely smiling at his enthusiasm. When I turned slightly I caught the image of the strangest thing I had seen as of yet.

Five people were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, far away from everyone in the room. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, but they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. I inwardly scowled at the food they hadn't touched. That would be a waste if they weren't going to eat it. I shoveled some macaroni and cheese into my mouth happily savoring the bacon bits Mrs. Aster had put in my bowel. I was really glad dad had helped find her cat the other day.

I glanced back at the strange statue like people that sat far away from everyone else. They looked eerily pretty. Of the three boys that were there, one was big - muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and a honey blonde. The last was lanky with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students. I secretly wondered if they did any sort of drugs to make them appear older. Or maybe they were held back?

The two girls that sat with them were total opposites. The tall one reminded me of those Amazon women in the Wonder woman world. She had an hourglass figure, the kind that made some girls around her take a hit on their self-esteem just by being in the same room as her. Her hair was golden, gently waving down to the middle of her back. The short girl was pixie-like, slender, with small delicate features. Her hair was a deep blue black, cropped short and pointing in every direction. She kind of reminded me of a dark version of Tinker Belle.

I paid half an ear to the conversation at the table around me since they weren't quite including me in whatever they were talking about. This was just as well, since I was trying to figure out what felt so off about the strangely pretty people. I really couldn't help people watching, and they were the strangest people I had ever seen.

They all looked distinctly different, but at the same time they were all exactly alike. However, it wasn't in the same way when people were related. It was a strange kind of similarity that darker things shared. My stomach clenched at that though as my mind raced. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this town probably. They all had very dark maroon brown eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes - purplish, bruise-like shadows. As if they were all suffering from sleepless nights, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular like the scary statues from Doctor Who.

They were all looking away - away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the pixie girl rose with her tray - an unopened soda and an untouched apple - and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. I stared at the garbage can where she had dumped her food and thought back to the times when I saw kids go hungry at my old school because they couldn't afford God damn fruit. A tiny scowl made its way onto my face.

"Who are they?" I asked the Merida double motioning towards them.

She looked towards where I was gesturing and suddenly the boyish one stared at us. He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could've thought.

My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did. She quickly cleared her throat, "That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen. The Cullens live with Dr. Cullen and his wife. No one really knows where the Hales live. Rumor is that they live near the Cullens though."

I tilted my head and gave her a confused look, "Wouldn't that be obvious if they're related?" Usually when one had the same last name as someone else, that's what it meant. Well...unless it was a really common last name around these parts.

She shook her head and sent me a patient smile, "Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is like really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted."

A light bulb turned on in my head and I finally managed to remember that my neighbor was called Jessica. I personally thought that she looked more like a Merida though.

"They are all...very nice-looking," I struggled with coming up with a statement that was vaguely polite.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with triumphant smile. She pouted slightly, "They're all together though - Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean." She glanced at the boys at the table and sighed wistfully. Huh. It wasn't good to yearn for someone else's man. That was an equation that could land you onto the Maury show.

Throughout this conversation, my eyes flickered to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat. What a waste of food. I ate the last bit of my lunch with relish while I chugged down my iced tea.

I looked back at the table before carefully asking, "Have they always lived in Forks?" Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here.

"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."

I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard.

As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation. After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful - even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch.

I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I didn't quite know whether or not I was allowed to leave whenever I wanted. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. Angela, another one of the nice ones, had Biology II with me the next hour. We walked to class together in a companionable silence. She seemed shy and I didn't really know what to say to strike up a proper conversation.

When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized one of the Cullens by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.

I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed and just as I passed, the Cullen boy suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared hard at me, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face - it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red up to the tips of my ears. I stumbled over the air slightly to catch myself on the edge of a table. A girl with bright braces sitting nearby giggled.

Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book before gesturing for me to take a seat. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me.

I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was stiff as a board and refused to look at me, but at least he wasn't glaring at me like he had been earlier. I sighed. I knew how he felt. Some people just rubbed me the wrong way too. It was too bad that my lab partner had to be someone I rubbed the wrong way.

Fortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway. I would just have to bring my other half filled notebooks to my various classes tomorrow instead.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally at the strange boy next to me. I wished I had left my waist length hair down instead of keeping it in a bun today. I could've totally spied on him behind my hair. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and it turned out that he wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother.

This class seemed to drag on longer than the others. I glanced back at him now and again. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? Even when someone rubbed me the wrong way, I never acted like this.

The bell rang loudly, jolting me out of my thoughts, and my lab partner was out of his seat like lighting. Fluidly he rose - he was much taller than I'd thought - his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat. Damn dude. Harsh.

I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so _mean_. I gathered up my things, trying to calm the anger that surged through me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.

"Aren't you Elizabeth Kites?" a deep voice asked me from my left side.

I looked up and turned a little to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his dirty blonde hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes. He grinned at me with a steady sort of warmth. This guy totally gave me the boy next door vibe.

"Eliza," I corrected him, with a smile.

"I'm Mike," he nodded while I got up pulling on my backpack.

"Hello, Mike," I nodded and did my best to tuck his name away in my head.

"Do you need any help finding your next class?" he looked at me curiously.

I let out an awkward laugh, "I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it." I would bet anything that the gym was probably the biggest building here. It seemed like it would be in a small town like this.

"That's my next class, too," he seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.

As we walked to our next class together I found out more about him. It turned out that he was a big talker - he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me since I preferred to listen rather than talk. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my English class too. He was one of the many nice people I had met today.

As we were entering the gym, Mike asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."

"Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?" I asked wanting definite confirmation.

"Yes," he said, "He looked like he was in pain or something."

So that was the guy's name. I cringed slightly. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed, and apparently, that wasn't Edward Cullen's usual behavior. "I don't know," I responded, "I never even spoke to him."

"He's a weird guy," Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room, "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

"Thanks, Mike," I smiled at him before walking through the girls' locker room door. I shook my head laughing lightly under my breath. He was friendly and clearly admiring, but I certainly wasn't interested. Not matter how sweet he seemed.

The Gym teacher, Coach Peramore, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. Back in Phoenix, only two years of P.E. were required. Here though, P.E. was mandatory for all four years. This was both good and bad. Good because then I could loose more weight, and bad because I was woefully out of shape. I figured I could always get into shape after high school if I still wanted to be a cop though. Right? Right.

I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries I had sustained - and inflicted - playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated. Volleyball was my worst sports.

The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong and colder. I pulled my anorak closer to my body and made a mental note to buy a scarf and mittens as soon as I was able to.

When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.

Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me. I recognized his tousled bronze hair. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.

He didn't appear to notice my entrance. He was arguing with her in a low frustrated voice about trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time - any other time.

I sighed slightly irritated at the hold up. I wanted to get home and relax and Edward's freak out wasn't really helping me accomplish my goal.

The door opened again, and the cold wind blew through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, and swirling strands of my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. Edward's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me. For an instant, I felt the incredible urge to smack his face. If you didn't like me, you didn't have to be near me, mother fucker. He turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he stated hastily in gruff voice, "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And with that he turned on his heel without another look at me, disappearing out the door.

I ground my teeth and took a calming breath before I stepped up towards the counter. I pulled on a polite hollow smile and handed the receptionist the signed slips.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist gently asked. I would have to find out this lady's name. She was the first nice person I had encountered today, and I felt the need to thank her somehow.

"It went better than I had expected," I said a weak smile pulled onto my face. She sent me a sympathetic look before handing me a chocolate chip cookie. I gratefully took the cookie and thanked her before I went on my way.

When I got to my truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly munching on my newly acquired cookie. Soon enough after I had finished my cookie, I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to my house, contemplating what happened earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

**2\. Adapting**

The next day was better. My dad made me cinnamon swirl pancakes, my favorite. Mrs. Coop loved the thank you card I made her, and I managed to recall most of the people that introduced themselves to me.

The clouds were dense and opaque, but there wasn't any fog or rain. The day felt easier because I knew what to expect. Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class, with Eric glaring at him all the while. I didn't know why he was glaring at Mike, but it probably wasn't any of my business. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica, Angela, Lauren, and Ben.

It was worse because I was tired; the pain from my legs was acting up more than usual. This was the opposite effect that my parents had hoped for when I had moved here. I had to pop in a break through painkiller last night which left me feeling heavy and tired despite my good day so far.

All morning I dreaded lunch, fearing Edward's bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. However, I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I wasn't angry and frustrated enough to really go through with it.

When I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica, I saw that their clique of sorts were sitting together at the same table and he wasn't with them.

Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. I tried to listen to their easy chatter, but I was terribly uncomfortable waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that he would simply ignore me when he came. Would he be my school bully here?

He didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense. Was this some new way to psych me out? A new bullying method?

I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't shown up. Mike, walked faithfully by my side to class; I think he might have noticed my uneasiness. I held my breath at the door, but Edward wasn't there, either. I exhaled and went to my seat. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He lingered by my desk until the bell rang then smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by the girl with the colorful braces. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike, and I would have to make sure to let him down easy. I didn't have a lot of practice turning people down like that; because it usually never happened, but there was a first time for everything it seemed. I was relieved that I had the desk to myself.

When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of my cheeks from a volleyball incident, I changed quickly back into my jeans and sweater. I hurried from the girls' locker room to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got into my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed. I had shit to do today besides my homework.

I was on my way to the Thriftway to pick up groceries for me and my dad since he now had an extra pair of helping hands. I gunned my thundering engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot.

As I waited I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. Who else could afford it? Not anyone I had recently met besides them, I bet. It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money, but as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. Besides, it didn't look as if it really bought them any acceptance here anyways.

They looked at my noisy truck as I passed them, but I kept my eyes straight forward during the entire time. Soon enough, I was finally free of the school grounds. The wind blew through my car as I drove down the road. The cool air washed away my slight nervousness. I breathed in the smell of growing plants and smiled to myself.

The Thriftway wasn't that far from my new school, just a few streets down south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside a supermarket; it felt familiar. I always got the groceries for my mom while she worked her two jobs, and I supposed that I'd be doing the same thing for my dad here.

When I got home I unloaded all the groceries into their designated cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer. I idly wondered what kind of takeout I was going to choose this time. I took my phone out and thoughtfully paced around the kitchen after I had started up the dishwasher. Soon enough I dialed the Chinese takeout place and ordered our usual two number nines. My dad would appreciate the beef and broccoli chow mein.

I shot my mom a text asking how she was doing and when I was finished with that, I headed upstairs to my room. Before I started my homework, and rifled through my bookshelf for my notebooks from Phoenix, I changed into a pair of dry sweats and a baggy yellow shirt. It was nice being in warm clothes again. As much as I liked the rain, I wasn't that fond of getting cold from it. I checked my e-mail for the first time on my phone. I had a couple messages, but it was all from Facebook, and some other coupon sites my mom had me sign up for. I rolled my eyes and let myself fall down onto my bed with an umph.

My phone buzzed with my mom's familiar text tone and I looked at her message:

"I'm doing well, sweetie. Work was work, but it wasn't as bad since Phil has a job too. I managed to get the time off for Florida. Anyways, tell me how your flight was. Is it raining there? I miss you already. Phil says hi. Kisses."

I smiled and let out a snort and texted her back:

"That's good mom. I'm glad that you're not working yourself to death, and that they finally gave you time off. My flight was bearable, even with the dinky plane. Have I ever told you how much I miss boats? It's raining here, and I love how none of my allergies are acting up. Plus! Because of that, my skin doesn't break out as bad. I miss you too mom. I love you.

Oh! Thank you so much for the NCIX card that you and Phil gave me. It was an awesome surprise. I have yet to find an NCIX in Forks though. I think I may have to go to Seattle or something."

In a couple moments my phone buzzed again:

"You're welcome, sweetheart. If you do go to Seattle, make sure to take your father with you. I love you too! I'm glad you could handle the flight, darling. When you were younger, you used to throw fits every time we had to fly. I know you don't like heights, but boat travel takes too long to get you places. I'm glad that your allergies aren't as bad there, and that your skin is doing better. How was your first day at school, sweetie? Are your legs still hurting? You didn't get on another motorcycle did you? Stay away from those bad kids who dare you to do stupid things. You don't need them to validate yourself because you're more awesome than a million pairs of sparkly shoes."

I read her text and laughed out loud, rolling my eyes slightly at the end of her message. I knew better now. Besides, two broken legs and a hella long time of teasing during the first half of my healing process let me know I had screwed up royally. I shot my mom another text:

"Will do mom. I'm glad I'm more awesome than a million pairs of your favorite things. I guess you're right about boats, but a girl can dream. Still though, if we were meant to fly we'd have wings. My first day was okay-ish. I may have met my first unfriendly, but otherwise...meh. The other kids at school were _really_ nice to me. My legs still hurt now and again, but the painkillers are helping. I have stayed away from _all_ motorcycles. You've drilled that warning into me, mom. You're more awesome than a million apple cinnamon scones."

I rolled over and pulled myself up into a sitting position. I looked over at my bedside table and picked up one of my favorite comics; The Gamer. I idly flipped through the pages and pouted. I bet life would be cooler if the whole gaming ability was real. Besides that, I bet I could really help my folks out if I just defeated monsters for money.

"Eliza?" my dad called out from the bottom of the stairs. I climbed out of bed and made my way out into the hall way.

"Hey, dad, welcome home," I grinned down at him and skipped down jumping onto his back.

I heard him grunt and let out a little laugh. I kissed his cheek, "Getting crotchety, old man?"

My dad let out a disbelieving laugh, "Thanks for that, kiddo." He rolled his eyes and shook me off. I landed on my feet and grinned cheekily at him.

He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots before handing me a big brown bag. I guess I must have gotten distracted by my comic and missed the takeout guy. I'm glad my dad was here to bail me out of that little problem, "Thanks dad."

I glanced at his gun. From what he had told me, he'd never shot a gun on the job, but he kept it ready. I had mentioned trying to shoot once and he had stated that I could try it once I was the legal age to do so. I think that was eighteen here. Meh. I could always Google it later. When I much much younger, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. Now though, he stopped doing that. I guess he considered me old enough not to shoot myself by accident or on purpose.

"No problem, sweetie. What's for dinner?" he asked happily taking a seat at the table while I unloaded the take-out.

I smiled and announced, "Beef and broccoli with chow mein."

He laughed and stood up gathering the utensils and cups while I set one bowl down in front of our chairs.

He pulled out a the soda that I recently bought and poured us each a cup. He sat down again and happily stated, "Good choice, Eliza."

I opened my take-out and took in the smell, "Thanks, dad."

My dad happily dug into his food. I think he had a long day. I tilted my head and swallowed what I was chewing, "How was your day, dad?"

My dad lifted an eyebrow and chuckled, "No, Eliza. I didn't shoot anyone."

I huffed and made a face, "That's not what I was getting at."

My dad barked out a laugh before shaking his head, "It was good. Long, but good. How did you like school? Have you made any friends?"

"Well, I have a few classes with two girls, Jessica and Angela. I sat with their friends at lunch and then there's Mike and Eric, who were both very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice here," I pushed my broccoli around my take out bowl, biting my lip now and again. Everyone was pretty nice... well with one outstanding exception, that is.

"I don't know that Eric kid, but I do know Mike Newton. Nice kid - nice family. His two moms own the sporting goods store just outside of town. They make a good living off all the backpackers who come through here," my dad gobbled up more of his meal and took a long gulp of his soda.

"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked hesitantly. I don't know how my dad would react to my would be bully. Not well, probably.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man," he nodded resolutely and continued steadily eating.

"They...the kids...are a little different," I nodded and nervously added. I didn't really have someone that just hated me on sight and I hoped my dad would get what I was saying.

My dad surprised me by looking angry, but I don't think it was directed at me. I should've just said that one of them was being mean.

"People in this town," he muttered darkly. He shook his head and resolutely stated, "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, and make ten times the salary he gets here. We're _r_ _eally_ lucky to have him - lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in. They seemed a little weird, and I thought we might have some problems with them. However, I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. They stick together the way a family should - camping trips every other weekend... Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

That was the longest rant I'd ever heard my dad make. He must've felt strongly about whatever people were saying. I didn't really know if I should tell him about the mean one; Edward Cullen.

I backpedaled, "Most of them seemed nice enough. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive." I wasn't too sure if I could handle my new antagonist, but I hoped I could deal with it alone. No need to tarnish what my dad thought about Dr. Cullen's kids.

"You should see the doctor," he chortled. A far away look appeared in his eyes as he finished off the last of his food, "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

I flinched inwardly. Sometimes, I wondered if my dad was secretly jealous of all the happily married people around him. Sometimes...I honestly thought it was my fault that they separated. I threw those dark thoughts at the back of my mind. I didn't need that right now.

We lapsed back into a comfortable silence as we finished eating. He cleared the table while I chucked the take out bowls into the trash, and put the utensils and cups into the dishwasher after emptying it. Soon enough my dad was watching the game and I went upstairs to work on my, seriously stupid, math homework. The night was eerily quiet and I fell into a fitful sleep.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes and by Friday I felt comfortable enough to walk around without a map. During P.E., the kids on my team learned not to pass me the ball and to step quickly in front of me if the other team tried to take advantage of my weakness. I happily stayed out of their way. Volleyball wasn't something that I ever really improved on. I always hoped that we would play anything else, but it seemed like the coach had a thing for the stupid game.

Edward didn't come back to school, and that kept me on edge. I kept thinking that one day he would show up and then I would have to deal with my bully. I knew I should've learned some martial arts or something. The only real self-defense that I knew was from the Miss Congeniality movie.

Every day, I watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullen and Hale clique entered the cafeteria without him. Only then could I relax and join in on the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centered around a trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. I was invited, and I had agreed to go. I hadn't seen my godfather, godbrother, or my other friends since I got here. I wasn't quite sure they knew about me moving here, actually.

By now I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class without any worry that someone would be glaring at me, and possibly wishing for my death. For all I knew, Edward had dropped out of school. I tried not to think about him, but I couldn't totally suppress the worry that he'd be back and I'd have to deal with whatever he had in mind for me. I highly doubted he could shove me into a locker though.

My first weekend in Forks passed without any incidents. My dad was unused to spending time at home when it wasn't summer, and ended up working most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, Googled random shit, watched YouTube, browsed Netflix, and exchanged texts with my mom when I remembered to. I did troll craigslist for a tablet since I didn't have to buy a car myself now, and since I had used up all of my NCIX money to order better computer parts online. I didn't really want to go to the library and take books out when I could otherwise get them for free on the internet. I managed to acquire a decently priced Ipad on Sunday and spent the entire rest of the day filling it with hundreds of books. I internally squealed when I found a bunch of fairy tale retellings on a bunch of free epub sites. The rain stayed soft over the weekend, which lulled me into a peaceful sleep each night especially with the aid of my T3s.

People, that I recognized, greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I waved back and smiled at everyone. It felt like it was going to be a good day today. Sure it was colder this morning, but otherwise it looked like it was nice out today. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by my side, and we had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward and very easy. I wished they would do tests on more interesting books like Harry Potter though.

All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable at school than I had thought I would feel by this point. More comfortable than I had ever expected to feel.

When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of snow. I could hear people shouting excitedly to one another. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose, and I remembered that I forgot to buy a scarf and mittens again. I internally smacked my forehead.

"Wow," Mike said looking up at the sky as he held out his hand, "It's snowing."

I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face, "Yup." Snow. There went my good day. I was probably shit at driving in snow. I wouldn't know since I had never had to really traverse in it.

He looked surprised at my bland tone, "Don't you like snow?"

"Sort of yes and no. No, since I've never driven in snow before and yes because of snow people," I scowled at the ground. I didn't bring anything for traction for my truck either. God damn it.

Mike nodded in an understanding fashion, "That makes sense. I had trouble driving in the snow for the first time too. Oh! Hey, have you ever seen snow fall before?" He had a knowing look on his face. It just reminded me that he had never seen snow before when he came here for the first time as well.

I shot him a sheepish grin, "On TV, does that count?"

Mike let out a big laugh. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us - in the _**wrong**_ direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraping together a snowball.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. I was not in the mood to get in the middle of a snowball fight especially since I probably didn't wear enough layers for that.

He just nodded, his eyes on Eric's retreating figure.

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the new year. It was nice, but at the same time I wasn't all the interested to play in the snow here. Maybe when I got home. I would make a bad ass snow person probably.

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Jessica after Spanish. Snow balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Jessica thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a snowball at me herself. I really didn't want to catch a cold.

Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner, just out of habit at this point. I froze where I stood when I found that there were five people at the table instead of four.

Jessica pulled on my arm, "Hello? Eliza? What do you want?"

I looked down; my ears were hot. I didn't know how to handle this.

"You okay?" Mike questioned paying for his cheese burger, soda, and fries.

"I'm fine," I answered with a false sense of calm. I eyed the usually scrumptious menu and shook my head, "I'll just get a soda today." I caught up to the end of the line.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked as she popped a fry into her mouth.

"Actually, I feel a little sick," I said, my eyes still on the floor. I didn't do that well when it came to confronting my bullies. I knew I couldn't run from this, this time...I really wanted to though.

I waited for them to get their food, and then followed them to a table, my eyes on my feet. I sipped my soda slowly, my stomach churning. Twice Mike asked how I was feeling. I told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I should play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour. Ridiculous, I know. I decided to permit myself one glance at the Cullen family's table. If he was glaring at me, I would skip Biology, and figure out how to deal with it then.

I subtly looked at them, and luckily none of them were looking this way. I lifted my head a little at that and inwardly sighed with a new sense of relief. They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else. Maybe I was wrong, and everything would be okay today?

"Eliza, what are you staring at?" Jessica tilted her head to the side and followed my line of sight with her eyes.

At that precise moment, Edward's eyes flashed over to mine. I froze for a moment before whipping my head away. I took a gulp of my soda and contemplated stealing one of Jessica's fries.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear. I was more tempted to steal her fries now.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" I asked hesitantly before I snatched one of her fries. I shoved the fry into my mouth and chewed slowly before washing it down with some of my soda.

Jessica rolled her eyes at my actions before pushing her fries to rest in between us. She stared hard at him before turning back to me, "No. He doesn't seem mad. Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me," I confided shoving some more fries into my mouth. I felt queasy and hungry at the same time.

Jessica let out a long suffering sigh and patted my shoulder, "The Cullens don't like _anybody_...well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. Don't worry about it."

I nodded and continued munching on her fries. She bumped my shoulder and started eating her burger. I guess they glared at everyone then? Did that make them the _group bullies_ here?

Mike chimed in about his epic snowball battle plan in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I sheepishly shook my head and Mike pouted at me in an attempt to probably change my mind. I just keep declining the invite with the reason for driving in snow for the first time. After that comment, the table started in on the topic of driving in the snow for the first time. Everyone exchanged their own 'horror' stories and I relaxed slightly.

I decided to honor the bargain I'd made with myself. Since he didn't look angry, I would go to Biology. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to him again. I should've packed the pepper spray my dad had recently bought for me. I would make sure to do that next time.

I didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual - he seemed to be a popular target for the snowball snipers - but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I hoped that the roads would be clear when I drove home today. I guess I wouldn't be making badass snow people when I got home today.

Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four. I nodded idly at some of them, but it wasn't like it wasn't going to snow again. He just had to be patient.

Once inside the classroom, I saw that my table was still empty. Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with various conversations. I let out a sigh of relief as I sat down, and started idly doodling on the cover of my notebook. I heard the chair next to me move, but my eyes stayed carefully focused on the pattern I was drawing.

"Hello," said a quiet tenor next to me.

I looked up warily at him and nodded at his hello. I didn't know if that greeting was an opening for whatever he had planned for me. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. He was certainly confusing. His face was friendly enough with a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes were careful, cautious. What he had to be worried about, was beyond me. He was the one who looked like he wanted to kill me the last time we sat together.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued on probably pretending I had extended my own sort of greeting instead of my silent acknowledgment. He gave me a sort of weird a smile that seemed too wide for his face, "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Elizabeth Kites."

My mind spun with confusion. Why was he being perfectly polite now? Was this some sort of new psychological bullying?

"I prefer Eliza," I corrected, more out of habit at this point.

"Oh. Alright, " he let it drop. I looked away awkwardly and hoped that he would stay as polite as he was being now.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.

Mr. Banner looked around and nodded to the class, "Get started."

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile that only made me tense. What was his game?

"Or I could start, if you wish," the smile faded as he put together the equipment we were given.

I shook my head, "No." I said, flushing, "I'll go ahead." I really hoped that I wasn't being rude, even if he was being really weird.

I'd already done this lab back in Phoenix, so I knew what I was looking for. I adjusted the microscope to the 40X objective and studied the slide briefly.

I took down what phase it was in my note book before stating, "This one is Prophase."

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. I glared at him. Did he think I was stupid? I gently jerked my hand away from him and noted that his grip was pretty strong.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him scowling as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in his our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it briefly.

"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke. Are you kidding me? Right. This guy was being a jerk.

I kept my voice indifferent and as polite as I could, "May I?"

He smirked and pushed the microscope to me with the next slide. I twitched internally and felt the need to smack him in the face return. Why was this guy being so smug?

"Interphase," I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I wrote down the different phases on my worksheet and counted to ten. Did this guy just think I couldn't be trusted when it came to identifying things? God damn it.

We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mike and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table. I inwardly sighed, that's how a group was supposed to work. Not like how this weirdo wanted to do things.

I finished up double checking our work and when I glanced up, he was staring at me. It was that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. Suddenly I identified a subtle difference in his face, besides the absent hostility.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out impulsively. Didn't he have black eyes the last time I saw him in class? Or were his eyes always red brown?

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question and bit out, "No."

"Oh," I mumbled. Fucker was totally lying. I shook my head and sighed. I knew I wasn't wrong. In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black color of his eyes the last time he'd glared at me - the color was scarily striking. Today, his eyes were a completely different color, and eye colors didn't change overnight without the aid of contact lenses.

He shrugged, and looked away.

I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.

"Good job you two, although that was a little fast for your first time, " Mr. Banner stated as he collected our sheets.

He turned to me and rose an eyebrow, "Have you done this lab before?"

I smiled sheepishly, "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?" he collected the microscope and shot me a curious look.

I sheepishly rubbed my neck, "Yeah."

Mr. Banner nodded and smiled slightly, "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

"Yes," my cheeks flushed and I felt slightly put on the spot.

"Huh. Well good job, in any case," he said after adjusting his hold on our things. He nodded to himself and mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. I don't know why he was acting so nice when he clearly didn't much like me from what I had figured out so far.

"Sort of yes and no," I answered honestly putting away my binder into my backpack and gathering up my other materials.

"You don't like the cold," he stated blandly.

I tilted my head and glanced at him briefly, noting his curious expression, "No. I do like the cold. I just don't like driving in snow. I haven't had much of any experience in doing so."

"Huh. So Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused staring harder at me. That was an odd assumption to make.

I pulled down the urge to flinch away from his steady gaze and muttered, "Not really." This guy was just getting creepy at this point.

He looked fascinated by what I said, for whatever reason. I settled into my chair and took in a couple deep breaths. My dad had always imparted the sound advice of calmly breathing when things got weird. I really hoped it would help again in this situation.

A fair bit of time passed before he asked, "So why did you come here?"

 _No one_ had asked me that - not straight out like he did, demanding. I found it a little rude and intrusive, but he looked determined to get an answer out of me. I was glad I was a little bit calmer, but at the same time...it just caused irritation to flare up in me. This guy was super weird.

I raised my eyebrow at him, "It's complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed. A grim frown pulled at my lips and I could see that he wasn't going to let this go. I thought my parents had said that no one would pry into why I was here. I shook my head and sighed pausing for a long moment. I made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His gaze confused me, and I answered without thinking.

"My supposed friends back in Phoenix tried to kill me," I bluntly stated. I clapped my hands over my mouth in sheer horror before clenching my eyes shut. God damn it. Was this guy a hypnotist or something?

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic, "When did that happen?"

I took my hands off of my mouth and clenched them into tight fists. I gave him a dark look, "A while ago."

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity and determination.

I made a face and decided that he was just a really strange busybody, "It took twelve weeks for me to heal up after what they did and my healing process isn't done yet. They're currently all in jail right now for attempted man slaughter. It's better for me to be here than back in Phoenix right now." I clicked my teeth shut at that point and determinedly looked at the front of the class.

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out. I sighed and looked at him again. Why couldn't he leave this alone?

"How so?" I challenged. I was pretty happy here and he had no right to tell me how I feel. This guy didn't even _know_ me. He had _no_ right.

"Well none of it really seems fair," he shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.

I raised my eyebrow at him before tilting my head, "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life _isn't_ fair."

"Yes, I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.

"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.

His gaze became appraising, "You put on a good show, but I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced at him, and let out a long suffering sigh. Would the punishment of punching a guy in the face be worth it to make this guy shut up? I gave him a sharp glance, "I'm fine and happy here. Please stop assuming things. Besides, why does it matter to you?" I was officially extremely irritated at this point. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds and the clock. The stupid bell seemed to take forever to ring at this point.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked sounding amused with a stupidly smug grin on his face.

I glanced at him without thinking... and told the truth again, "Yes, I want to punch your face." I frowned at my blunt and rude answer. What the hell was going on here?

This statement just made the weirdo laugh, "I find you very difficult to read." Despite my hostility, he still wanted to keep talking.

Mr. Banner called the class to order and I turned, with relief, to listen. Mr. Banner illustrated on the projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. It was nice to slip back into something very familiar after that strange conversation.

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And like last Monday, I stared after him in bemused amazement, a small scowl tugging on my lips.

Mike skipped quickly to my side and gave me a curious look as I slipped on my backpack. I shot him a reassuring look.

He smiled and then pulled a face, "That was awful. They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. I thought he thought better of me. His face fell a little at my offended tone and I patted his shoulder as we walked towards the hooks, "I've done the lab before, though."

His expression brightened before stating, "So, Cullen seemed friendly enough today."

I nodded. He was pretty nice today considering last time. Mike bumped my shoulder as we took our respective coats off the hooks, and I shot him an amused look, "Yeah, he wasn't an ass today."

Mike let out a barking laugh, "Yup."

I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, and P.E. didn't do much to hold my attention, either. Mike was on my team today. We were still playing God damn volley ball. He chivalrously covered my position as well as his own when he could. However, nothing could really be done when it was my turn to serve. All my team could do was duck warily out of the way every time I was up.

The rain was a fine mist as I walked to the parking lot, and I was happier when I was in my dry cab. I got the heater running, unzipped my anorak, put the hood down, and undid my bun so the heater could dry it on the way home. I texted my mom about my strange day, and I really hoped she had some advice about all of this.

I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed a still white figure. Edward was leaning against the front door of their Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I recoiled slightly before I swiftly looked away and threw my truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste. Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brake just in time. It was just the sort of car that my truck would make scrap metal of.

I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from my peripheral vision, I could see him laughing. The guy was a total creep and I sincerely hoped that he would leave me alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**3\. Near Death Experience Take Two**

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something felt different. I sat up and stared at my window before it dawned on me. It was the light. It was still the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window. Huh. I got up to look outside, and then groaned in muted horror.

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. It looked like all the rain from yesterday had frozen solid - coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. I sighed and contemplated on not going to school today. It might be safer for me to just go back to bed now.

I creeped downstairs towards the smell of bacon, eggs and rice. I got to the kitchen and noticed that there was a sticky note attached to my orange juice. I read it and sighed. My dad had an early shift for work and had gone ahead and eaten without me. I pouted as I ate my breakfast alone. I wasn't able to tell him about Edward's weird prying behavior last night since he worked late. Now I couldn't do it because he had work early. My mom hadn't texted back either. I shoved an entire egg into my mouth and scowled as I chewed. This kind of sucked.

I finished off my food and decided to still go to school today. I knew it wasn't the stimulating learning environment I was anticipating, but rather how I was able to see my new set of friends. I had yet to tell them about Mr. tall, pale, and creepy.

I was still frightened of the hostility I sometimes felt emanating from Edward, and I was still suspicious about why he was being very hot and cold with me. I was well aware that my league of friends and his league of friends were spheres that did not touch, so I didn't understand why he wanted to converse with me at all. His initial hostility certainly showed that he didn't like me. Maybe he had multiple personalities?

When I made it outside, I shivered slightly in my down filled parka before inspecting my truck. My dad had pulled on snow chains onto my wheels, probably before I woke up. I was definitely going to make something to thank him later. Fudge brownies, maybe. I recalled him saying that he always loved fudge brownies. It took every ounce of my concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. Clearly, today was going to be nightmarish for driving.

Driving to school, I distracted myself from my fear of crashing by listening to the radio. Apparently people were starting to disappear now and again for some reason. That was probably why my dad was taking in such weird long shifts. I idly wondered if it was always like this when I wasn't here. My truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. I drove very slowly, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street.

I got out of my truck and securely locked it and let out a sigh. Today would probably be better than I thought it would. Right?

Suddenly I heard a high-pitched screech and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled and saw several things at once. Adrenaline rushed through me and seemed to make my brain work much faster. I found that I was able to absorb things in a much clearer detail as I saw a dark blue van spinning wildly towards me. I froze for a second and realized that I wouldn't be able to move away in time. I didn't even have time to close my eyes.

Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around my truck bed, something hit me hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd parked next to. I didn't have a chance to notice anything else because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of my truck. It was still spinning and sliding, and was about to collide with me again.

A low growl made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of me, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, large hands fitting into a deep dent in the side of the van's body. Then his hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van, and something was dragging me, swinging my legs around like a rag doll's, till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears, and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt - exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been.

It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, I could hear more than one person shouting my name.

More clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Edward Cullen's low, frantic voice in my ear, "Eliza? Eliza, are you all right?"

"I'm _fine_ ," my voice sounded strange and fuzzy to me. I tried to sit up, but realized he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grip.

"Be careful," he warned as I struggled to get out of his grasp, "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

I became aware of a throbbing ache centered above my left ear. "Ow God damn it," I swore, stupidly surprised.

"That's what I thought," his voice sounded like he was suppressing laughter. Jackass.

"How in the...?" I trailed off, trying to clear my head and get my bearings. I winced and glanced up at him, "How'd you get over here so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Eliza," he stated, dead serious.

I turned to sit up, and this time he let me, releasing his hold around my waist and sliding as far from me as he could in the limited space. I looked at his concerned, innocent expression and was disoriented again by the force of his reddish brown eyes. What was I asking him? I shook my head and heard the distinct sirens of an ambulance and a fire truck. I idly wondered when the cops, and my dad, would show up.

Soon enough they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, and shouting at us.

"Don't move," a paramedic ordered.

"Get that kid out of the van!" a fireman yelled as more emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

There was a flurry of activity around us. I tried to get up, but Edward's cold hand pushed my shoulder down.

He firmly stated, "Just stay put for now."

"Stop telling me what to do, weirdo," I snapped. It surprised me when he chuckled under his breath. There was an edge to the sound.

I scowled at him and stated, "You weren't standing beside me. You were probably by your car."

His chuckle stopped short and his expression turned hard, "No, I wasn't."

"Liar," I let out a tired sigh as chaos surrounded us. I could hear the gruffer voices of all the other adults arriving on the scene. I was right and he was going to admit it, damn it.

"Eliza, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way," he stated staring down at me with an intensity that slightly scared me. However, I was pretty stubborn, so this didn't really derail me.

"No," I set my jaw and ground my teeth. I wasn't some simpleton that would follow whatever he said. I was _right_ about this.

His eyes pleaded with me and suddenly I felt guilty, "Please, Elizabeth."

"Fine," I snapped angrily. In any case, I was grateful that he saved me from becoming mush. Not matter how weird and creepy this guy was.

It took six firemen and two paramedics to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Edward vehemently refused his, and I politely complied stating that I had hit my head during the collision. I almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. Edward got to ride in the front for some strange reason. I was totally wrong about today.

My face lit up when I saw my dad's familiar cruiser come in at the last minute.

"Elizabeth!" he yelled in panic when he recognized me on the stretcher.

I wiggled my fingers and sent my dad a sheepish smile, "Hey, dad." He took me into his arms, and I could swear that he was about to cry. I hugged my dad back and muttered, "I'll be fine, dad."

He shook his head and turned to the closest paramedic for a debrief of the situation. I tuned him out to consider the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in my head. When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper - a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward's shoulders...as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame. What the fuck was he?

When I glanced around the parking lot I noticed his group. They were looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury, but held no hint of concern for their brother's safety.

I tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what I had just seen - a solution that excluded the assumption that I was currently delusional.

The ambulance got a police escort to the county hospital, and soon enough they put me in the emergency room; a long room with a line of beds separated by thin looking curtains. A nurse pulled a blood pressure cuff onto my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. She took in my vital signs with a sense of purpose and speed. She soon nodded at me before leaving to probably attend to another patient. I sighed and lied back in my bed, tugging at my neck brace now and again. It was irritating, but I could understand why they did it.

There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to me. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my Government class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than I felt, but he was staring anxiously at me.

His eyes were watery and wide, "Eliza, I'm so sorry!"

I shot him a slight smile shaking my head, "I'm fine, Tyler. Are you going to be okay?" As we spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek. Holy shit. I inwardly thanked God that we were both alive. I knew that ice on the roads meant trouble. Ice was only safe on ice rinks and in drinks.

He looked down at himself and nodded before tearfully looking at me again, "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong..." He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face with something that looked like a saline wipe.

"Don't worry about it; you missed me," I did my best to reassure him that I was fine, and that I didn't hold a grudge against him. Accidents didn't equate to grudges in my book.

Tyler tilted his head slightly and curiously asked, "How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone..."

I looked up at the ceiling and contemplated my answer. I sighed and blandly stated, "Edward pulled me out of the way."

He shot me a confused look, "Who?"

"Edward Cullen - he was standing next to me," I hated lying, and I personally didn't know how I escaped with just a bump on the head either. For once the answers alluded me, and I still couldn't figure out how any of it rationally happened. There was no way to explain away what I'd seen.

"Cullen? I didn't see him... wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?" Tyler held still as the nurse finished up changing his bandages.

I glanced back at him for a moment before reassuring him, "I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher."

They soon wheeled me away do CT scan to make sure that my head was okay. They found that I didn't have a concussion and that everything looked fine. They took off the itchy neck brace and declared that I would probably be fine. At that point, I asked if I could leave, but the nurse said I still had to talk to a doctor first. I patiently waited in the ER with Tyler, and his constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to reassure him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. Finally, I gave up and closed my eyes, choosing to ignore him for now. I really didn't know how to convince him that everything was okay between us. It's not like he did it on purpose.

"Is she sleeping?" a familiar tenor asked. I squinted open my eyes and sighed.

Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I scowled at his smirking face, and felt the temping urge to smack his face.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry -" Tyler began.

Edward lifted a hand, "No blood, no foul." He flashed his too white teeth at Tyler, and moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed to face me.

He smirked again, "So, what's the verdict?" Did this boy not know how to smile?

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go until I see a doctor before I leave," I stated in a clipped tone.

"Don't worry, I came to spring you," he shot me a smug look as a doctor walked around the corner. I really didn't get this guy.

The doctor that stood in front of me was young, like _really_ young. I expected doctors to be much older than this, but he looked like he was younger than my dad. He was pale and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes, so I guessed he might've just been a super genius doctor or something. From his name tag, I noted that his last name was Cullen.

"So, Miss Kites," Dr. Cullen intoned in a smooth voice, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feel fine, doc," I stated, hoping that he would just let me go home. Hospitals were okay, but they weren't my favorite place to be.

He walked to the light board on the wall over my head, and turned it on. He nodded and shot me a smile, "Your X-rays look good." He turned to me and took a look at my eyes with a pen light, "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"Nope. I don't think I hit my head that hard," I complied with his ministrations and watched him as he continued assessing me for any damage. The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed when I winced.

"Tender?" he asked, feeling along my skull again before looking at my chart and jotting something down.

"A little, but I've had worse," I gave him a dry smile and he shook his head; his lips tilting ever so slightly. The hospital had my records of my last near death experience.

I heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. My eyes narrowed and I shot Edward a gimlet glare.

Dr. Cullen clicked my file closed and professionally stated, "Well, your father is in the waiting room - you can go home with him now. However, if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all, come back to the hospital."

"Thanks, doc," I nodded at him and swung my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly - I staggered, and Dr. Cullen caught me. He looked mildly concerned.

I sheepishly smiled at him and shook my head, "I'm fine. Thanks again, doc."

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied me.

I shot him a curious look and stated, "It doesn't hurt that bad, and I still have my T3's for the pain in my legs."

A look of recognition suddenly flashed across his face before Dr. Cullen was able to compose himself again, "Right. It sounds like you were extremely lucky both times, huh?" Dr. Cullen smiled at me briefly before he signed off my chart with a flourish. Edward got up and leaned against the foot of my bed. I felt irritation prickle at my skin for a moment.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," I stated with a hard glance at the subject of my statement.

"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him. He looked at Tyler, and walked over towards him in the next bed. My intuition flickered; the doctor was in on it.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Tyler, as he began checking his vital signs.

I slid out of my bed and made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway ignoring the curious look that was etched on Edward's face. The waiting room was bustling with an outrageous amount of people, and it seemed like every face I knew in Forks was there, staring at me. My dad rushed to my side and swept me up into a tight hug.

I let out a sheepish laugh before stating, "There's nothing wrong with me, dad. The doctor said I could go home." I think my dad was probably having flashbacks of what happened before. I inwardly sighed, my mom was going to freak out. Two pretty bad hospital trips in one year. What were the odds?

Mike, Jessica, Angela, Ashley, Ben, Eric and the rest of my classmates were all here. It looked like they were beginning to converge on us, and I suddenly felt claustrophobic.

"Let's go," I urged tugging on my dad's Police Chief jacket. I pleaded with my dad with my eyes, and he acquiesced. He put one arm behind my back and helped lead me to the glass exit doors. I waved sheepishly at my friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. It was a huge relief to get into the cruiser. My legs ached again and I noted to myself that I would definitely need to take a T3 when I got home.

We drove with the windows down and the radio playing on in the background. My dad kept glancing my way now and again almost as if I would disappear right in front of him. I shot him a reassuring smile. He gave me a tight one in return. I think my dad was handling this worse than I was.

When we got to the house, my dad let out a tense sigh, "Eliza. Call your mother."

I tilted my head, "You told Mom?" He hated calling her almost as much as she hated calling him. They weren't exactly on the best terms, civil sure, but not good.

He kissed my cheek and nodded before getting out of the cruiser, "Yup."

I slid out of the cruiser and proceeded to call my mom. I had four missed calls from her already.

"Mom?" I called out into my phone and wondered if she would be hysterical.

My mom's warm voice was tinged with panic as she answered, "Eliza! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, no broken bones or anything of the sort this time around," a wry smile tugged at my lips.

"Do not joke about this, Eliza. Is someone trying to kill you again? I thought Forks would be safer than Phoenix _now_ , all things considered." It was an odd thing to say, but I shrugged it off.

"It _is_ safer, mom. This was an accident with driving and ice," I always knew that icy roads would get me into trouble.

My mom wailed on the phone and I held it away from me before I reassured her, "I'm fine. Totally fine. I'll even Skype with you later to prove it."

"Do you want to come back to Phoenix?" her voice warbled and I shook my head. She wasn't serious with that offer. It sounded like a question filled with panic, actually.

I let out a breath, watching as it became visible in the air, "No, mom. Besides, you and the doctor said that this place would let me heal more. I'll be fine. You'll see me again this summer."

"Oh, sweetheart," there was a weird note in her voice before she cleared her throat, "Stay as close to the reservation as much as you can, okay?"

I looked up at the sky and squinted at the sunshine that peaked out through the clouds now and again, "Okay." My mom was being weirder than usual, but I loved her so I would do as she asked...for now at least.

"I love you, honey. You don't have to Skype with me. Just promise me something in addition to what I just said?" her voice sounded pleading and I wished I could just hug her, despite the distance that was currently between us.

"I love you too, mom. Sure, shoot," I started walking towards the house as my dad helped me traverse the slippery driveway.

"Never take off the pendant great Nona gave you, okay? Promise me," her voice was stern and I sighed at another odd request of hers.

I smiled at my dad and kissed his cheek when we made it onto our front porch. I let out a patient sigh, "Of course, mom. I never take it off. You know that," I fingered the little gold coin pendant that hung around my neck on its delicate gold chain. It had an inscription in another language that I wasn't really able to decipher, even when I tried translating it on the internet.

"Good. I love you," her voice wavered and I could tell that she was still teary.

I smiled and stated, "I love you too, mom. I'll text you later."

"You better, daughter of mine. Sleep well."

"Good night."

I decided I might as well do nothing for the rest of the night. It was a hell of a day, and homework seemed like such a minuscule problem right now. My dad continued to watch me anxiously, and I wasn't able to do anything to really reassure him that I wouldn't vanish while he wasn't looking. I took my regular T3 and had hot chocolate with him while we watched movies on Netflix until I drifted off to sleep. I guess I would have to give him thank you fudge brownies another day.

That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.


	4. Chapter 4

**4\. Requests**

In my dream last night everything was pitch black, and what dim light that was present seemed to be radiating from Edward's red eyes. He would then turn his back to me and walk away leaving me in utter darkness. No matter where I went I was surrounded by this oppressive shadow that seemed to cling to my skin. Troubled, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like forever. After that, he and the darkness appeared in my dreams nearly every night. It was all very disturbing.

The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and, at first, embarrassing. To my dismay, I found myself as the center of attention for the rest of that week, no matter how much I tried to reassure people that I was fine. Tyler followed me around, obsessed with making amends somehow. I tried to convince him that everything was okay, but he remained insistent. He followed me between classes and sat at our usual lunch table. Mike and Eric were even less friendly toward him than they were to each other, which made me worry that I had somehow caused strife in their usual friendships. I didn't see the need for their hostility towards one another though. It was all really stupid.

No one seemed concerned about Edward, though I explained over and over that he was the hero - how he had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. Jessica, Mike, Eric, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away, which just proved my point further. He was lying.

Edward was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for his firsthand account. People avoided him as usual. The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, especially Edward, glanced my way anymore, which I found was a bit of a relief. I still glanced at them now and again at lunch, if only to scowl at the amount of food that they wasted. They even dared to waste chocolate. Bastards.

During Biology he sat as far from me as the table would allow and seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up did I wonder if he wasn't up to something.

I decided to be the bigger person and pleasantly stated, "Hello, Edward." Just because he was acting like a dick, didn't mean I had to act like one too.

He turned his head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way.

And that was the last contact I'd had with him, though he was there a foot away from me every day. I watched him sometimes, unable to stop my itching hunch that he had something sinister planned for me...even if he saved my life.

The creepy dreams continued and only fueled my paranoia that Edward wanted to harm me in some way. It didn't help that every time I got up, my window was always slightly ajar. It scared me shitless, but I kept telling myself that no one would dare to break in and enter the Police Chief's house. They wouldn't dare. Would they?

I texted my mom multiple times throughout the month and called her, which startled her. Calls were only for emergencies and I personally thought someone coming into my room at night was an emergency. She always sounded so wary and defeated when I mentioned the strange things that happened. It was almost as if she thought this would happen. That made no sense though, so I always dropped that line of thought. She sent me her famous sugar cookies and apple cinnamon scones with a bunch of other goodies when I called her crying about my nightmares. I sort of hoped she would offer to let me come back to Phoenix, but she never did. Something else was going on and it was driving me crazy. Even making brownies with my dad didn't help lift my mood. Forks was never like this in the summer, so I couldn't get why things had changed.

Mike, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my lab partner. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring Edward as completely as he ignored us. I still didn't have the nerve to let Mike down. I did my best at being platonic, but it didn't seem to be working very well. What I needed was another girl for Mike to focus on.

The snow eventually washed away for good after a while. Mike was disappointed he'd never gotten to stage his snowball fight, but pleased that a beach trip would soon be possible. Rain soon replaced the snow and continued heavily drizzling throughout the entire week. It made me feel a little better about my current situation, fertile earth always had that affect on me. I couldn't wait to garden when the weather was warmer.

Jessica made me aware of another event looming on the horizon - she texted me on the first Tuesday of January with the oddest question:

"Hey, Eliza. Do you think it would be okay to ask Mike to the girl's choice dance in two weeks?"

I raised my eyebrow at that question since I didn't quite get why it wouldn't be okay. Wasn't it girl's choice anyway? Could boys say no? I wasn't too sure on how it all went since I didn't get invited to go with anyone to any school dances. I quickly texted her back.

"Sure. Why not?"

My phone buzzed and I couldn't help, but bemusedly laugh at what she had written:

"Are you sure you don't mind... you weren't planning to ask him?"

I shook my head and sighed to myself. I certainly hoped that I didn't send anyone any mixed signals. I wasn't really interested in any of the guys here at school, to be honest. Sure, I wouldn't mind having some more friends; girls or guys, but I wasn't really ready for a relationship yet. At least not with any guys here. I still had a lot of shit I wanted to do in life first, and I didn't think a new person would know that. I quickly texted her back doing my best to assure her that it was okay:

"Nope. Not at all, Jess. Besides, I'm not going. I wanna stay in and binge watch Netflix. Maybe pig out on ice cream or something. I'm not really that fond of school dances."

She rapidly sent me a text back with a winky smiley face:

"Oh come on. It'll be really fun. Besides, there'll be free food."

I snorted out a laugh. I would not be bribed with free food just so I could embarrass myself with my dorky dance moves. No ma'am. I sent her a text with a silly emoji:

"Nah, thanks though. You go have fun with Mike and the others. If you still want to dance with me we can play one of those dancing games on my wii. What say you, friend?"

My phone buzzed again and I found that she sent me a thumbs up emoji along with her text:

"Ten four, good buddy."

I laughed out loud at that point and shook my head. I should've never told them I had wanted to be a cop like my dad. The cop jokes didn't stop coming when I least expected it.

The next day, I was surprised that Jessica wasn't her usual cheery self in Trig and Spanish. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. She did accept my hug though, so I knew it wasn't something that I did. If Mike had turned her down, I wasn't quite sure what to say to her. The perk of me not getting asked out or asking people out for this dance was the lack of rejection.

My fears were strengthened during lunch when Jessica sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with me and Eric. Mike was unusually quiet at lunch in comparison. It was all really depressing.

Mike was still pretty quiet as he walked me to class, the uncomfortable look on his face was a bad sign. However, he didn't broach the subject until I was in my seat and he was perched on my desk. As always, I did my best to show him that I only felt platonic feelings for him.

"So," Mike said, looking at the floor, "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

I tilted my head at him and gave him a measuring look, "I know. She told me. What'd you do to make her sad?" A grim look slipped onto my face and I could see his face fall at my response.

"Well..." he floundered as he examined my clearly unhappy stare, "I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" I let disapproval color my tone, "She really likes you. You shouldn't really lead people on like that. That's mean."

His face went bright red as he looked down again, "Yeah. I guess, but I was wondering if... well, if you might be planning to ask me." Okay, what?

I blinked repeatedly giving him a bewildered look before shaking my head, "Mike I don't like you like that. You're a good friend, and as your good friend, I think you should get back to Jessica. You should apologize and tell her yes."

I don't think half the conversation filtered through his head because soon after he asked, "Did you already ask someone?" Seriously?

"No," I stated giving him a stern look, "I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" Mike pouted and whined a little. I rolled my eyes at him and sighed.

I contemplated telling him the truth and decided against it. It wouldn't do if he got it into his head that he could chill with me instead of going to the dance with my friend, "I'm going to Seattle that Saturday."

"Can't you go some other weekend?" Mike cast a suspicions glance at Edward before sending me a pitiful look.

"Sorry, nope," I stated and narrowed my eyes at him, "You shouldn't make Jess wait any longer - it's rude.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled, and turned, dejected, to walk back to his seat. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to push the frustration out of my head. I never acted romantically with any of them and treated all of them the same. How in the world did Mike think that I liked him that way? Soon enough, Mr. Banner began talking, which prompted me to open my eyes.

I caught Edward staring at me curiously with that same familiar edge of frustration with his now black eyes. I stared back, surprised, expecting him to look quickly away. Instead he continued to gaze at me with a scarily probing intensity. My hands started to shake and my heart hammered in my chest. What did he want?

"Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner called, seeking an answer to what else occurs in a mitochondria.

"The Krebs Cycle," Edward answered reluctantly turning to look at Mr. Banner.

I looked down at my notebook as soon as his eyes released me, scribbling down what Mr. Banner had written on the board. I shifted my braided hair over my right shoulder and did my best to concentrate. My heart still hammered in my chest and I couldn't shake the fear that clung to me. I clutched at my pendant now and again which seemed to relieve some of my anxiety. It felt warm to touch, but I honestly thought that was just my imagination at this point.

I tried very hard not to be aware of him for the rest of the hour, and for a while it seemed to work. When the bell rang, I turned my back to him to gather my things, expecting him to leave immediately as usual.

"Eliza?" his deep tenor questioned.

I turned slowly after I had put everything away, and warily looked at him. His expression was unreadable and he didn't say anything once I had fully turned to him.

"Yes? Are you speaking to me again?" I tartly asked, heaving my backpack on and moving toward the coat hooks.

His lips twitched into a lopsided smile, "No, not really." Fucking weirdo.

I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth as I counted down from ten. I stiffly walked away from him and took my anorak off of the hook, hugging it to my chest.

I was about to head to the door when I felt an arm grasp mine, "What do you want, Edward?" I glanced at him warily, noting that he still had an impressive grip.

"I'm sorry," he stated sincerely. He dropped my arm and sighed, "I'm being very rude, I know...but it's better this way, really." That was really cryptic.

"I really don't know what you mean," I said as I folded my arms in front of my chest. I glanced at him unable to hide my wary curiosity.

"It's better if we're not friends," he explained. He looked at me with a hollow sort of smile, "Trust me."

My eyes narrowed. I wouldn't trust him with a stick of poo at this point, "Right. Well then thank you." I sent him an icy smile. We were never friends to begin with, so this was okay with me. He didn't have to be so creepy about it though.

His eyes narrowed, "You're welcome." Man this guy was weird.

I straightened up and swiftly walked off to Gym giving Mike a parting wave as I went. Just because one person pissed me off, didn't mean I had to be a rude dick to everyone. I certainly didn't want to be an Edward.

Gym wasn't too bad since we had finally moved on from volley ball onto basketball. My team passed me the ball now and again, so that was pretty good, but I was still a pretty bad shot. Our team lost by about five points, but everyone seemed to be having fun. It was a bright spot on an otherwise pretty sucky day.

I speed walked to my truck after gym feeling someone's eyes follow my back. Before I got in, I gently rubbed the dent that was now on my truck. It had suffered only minimal damage in the accident, but we still had to replace the taillights. My dad offered to get the dent out and touch it up, but that would have to happen on a later date. I didn't really mind though since the Behemoth was still alive and kicking. Other than that, it came out the victor between the two cars. Tyler's parents had to sell their van for parts. Even though he did almost kill me, I felt bad for him. Sort of anyways.

I almost had a stroke when I rounded the corner of my car and saw a tall, dark figure leaning against the side of my truck. I realized it was just Eric and managed to calm my racing heart.

"Hey, Eric," I called out as I walked on over to my driver's side door.

"Hi, Eliza," Eric straightened up and smiled at me cheerfully.

I returned his smile with one of my own and asked, "What's up?" I was unlocked my door and chucked my backpack into my passenger seat. I let out a happy sigh. I was going to be able to go home soon.

Eric cleared his throat and let out an awkward laugh, "Uh, I was just wondering... if you would go to the spring dance with me?" His voice broke on the last word.

"I thought it was girls' choice," I stated startled at this new development. What the hell was up with the guys?

"Well, yeah," he admitted, shamefaced. He wrung his hands and looked at me expectantly.

I recovered my composure and gave him a lopsided grin, "Thanks for asking me, but I don't like you _that_ way, Eric. Besides, I'm going to be in Seattle that day."

His face fell as my words seemed to sink in. He pulled on a tense smile before saying,"Oh...well, maybe next time."

"Sure, as friends," I agreed giving him a pat on the shoulder.

He cast me a sad smile at me before slouching and sullenly walking back toward the school. I heard a low chuckle emanate nearby.

Edward was walking past the front of my truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed together. I slipped into my truck, sighing at my luck before revving up my engine. I neatly reversed out into the aisle, but was cut off by Edward fucking Cullen. He then proceeded to just stop there like a total fucking knob. I considered taking out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed that a line was beginning to form behind us.

Directly behind me, Tyler Crowley in his recently acquired Sentra waved. I gave him a curt wave back, doing my best to quell my oncoming road rage.

While I was sitting there, stewing in my anger and plotting multiple ways to kill Edward, I heard a knock on my passenger side window. I looked over; it was Tyler. I glanced back in my rear view mirror, confused. His car was still running, the door left open.

I leaned cranked the window down and shot him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen."

"Oh, I know - I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here," he grinned brightly at me.

I raised my brow at him and nodded at him to go on. I really hope it wasn't something stupid.

"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he eagerly asked. Nope, it was a stupid question.

I sighed and tugged at my braid before shaking my head, "No, Tyler. I don't think of you _that_ way. Besides, I'm not going to be in town on that day." This was turning out to be a shitty ending to what was a good school day.

"Yeah, Mike said that," he admitted rubbing the back of his neck.

I shot him a sharp look before exasperatedly asking, "Then why ask?"

He shrugged, "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."

"Just, no Tyler. No," I stated stiffly. This guy was getting on my last nerve and the deep breathing that I was practicing wasn't helping me for once.

Tyler sent me a cheeky smile before shrugging, "That's cool. We still have prom."

Before I could respond to his weird assumption, he was already walking back to his car. I could feel my eye twitch and the tears prickle at my eyes. I looked forward and saw Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper sliding into the Volvo. In his rear view mirror, Edward's eyes were on me. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler had said. My foot itched toward the gas pedal... one little bump wouldn't hurt any of them, just that glossy silver paint job. I revved the engine with anger clearly blurring my rationale.

However, before I could enact my revenge, Edward was already speeding away. I drove home slowly, carefully, muttering to myself the whole way about stupid jackasses.

When I got home I looked at the chore calendar and found that it was my turn to cook dinner tonight. I sighed and pulled my braid into a bun. I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, but it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, my phone rang. I sighed and picked it up, hoping that whoever was calling had a good reason. Texting was really more my thing than calling, really.

It was Jessica, and she was jubilant; Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly while I stirred. She had to go, she wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them. I nodded and suggested that maybe Angela could ask Eric. While Lauren could ask Tyler since he was still available. Jess thought that was a great idea. She asked if we were still on for the wii dance off, which caused me to laugh. I told her that I was still up for it, if she was. She cheerfully said that she was and that she had to go. After I hung up, I hurriedly texted my mom about my fucking weird day. I made sure to put an emphasis on what a jerk Edward was being.

I diced the chicken with vigor and mixed them in with the rest of my ingredients. My thoughts ran away with me, and led to my odd conversation with Edward. What did he mean, it was better if we weren't friends? When were we ever friends to begin with?

My stomach grumbled and I shook my head. It wouldn't do to obsess over things I couldn't control. I finished the enchiladas and put them in the oven.

My dad came home with a tub of ice cream and another big hug for me. I took the tub of ice cream and kissed his cheek before tugging him into the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow as he caught the scent of green peppers. I couldn't blame him since we rarely had Mexican food.

"Enchiladas?" He asked as he plucked off a couple plates, cups, and utensils for us.

"Mhmm," I happily hummed and brought out a steaming casserole dish of enchiladas.

He laughed and murmured a quiet thanks as we dug into our meal. I tilted my head at him and sent him an expectant look, "Dad?"

He looked at me and gulped down some water, "I didn't catch anyone today, sweetie. The kidnappers are still at large. How was your day?"

I frowned and felt mildly worried that people still kept disappearing. I sighed and tucked that thought away in my head, "It could've been better. Boys up here are weird and annoying. There's this dance that's happening soon and I turned them all down because I didn't really feel like going. I wanna say in and just veg out."

My dad barked out a laugh and shot me curious look, "That's well and good, sweetheart. Boys are weird and annoying, don't you forget that. I do need a favor from you on that day though."

I tilted my head and munched on some of my enchilada, "What would that be?" I really hope it went with my be all lazy on that day plan.

"I need you to head up to Seattle and pick something up for me. I'd do it myself, but I have a late shift on that night. It's a package your mother sent that got waylaid there. I can trust you to do that right, sweetheart?" he sent me an expectant look and I pouted. There goes my lazy day plan.

I sighed and nodded, "Sure, dad."

He sent me a cheerful grin as he got up and served us some ice cream for dessert, "That's my girl."

The next morning at school I parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temptation, and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the truck, I accidentally dropped my keys into a puddle at my feet. I scowled and sighed as I bent to get it. Suddenly, a white hand flashed out in front of me and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright and turned my scowl towards whoever did that. Edward Cullen. I should've known.

"Yes?" I waspishly asked snatching my keys away from him. He looked surprised for a moment before giving me a hungry smile. It was very disturbing.

"What?" he kept that creepy smile on his face and continued leaning against my car. What a weirdo.

"Why the traffic jam last night?" I narrowed my eyes at him and demanded.

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance," he snickered.

"You are a piece of work," I spat as I began to walk away from him, but he only seemed more amused at my ire.

"Maybe, but I'm also _not_ pretending you don't exist," he stated matching my pace.

I rolled my eyes and shot him a dirty look, "So are you trying to irritate me to death then? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"

Anger flashed in his eyes and his lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone, "Eliza, you are utterly absurd."

I rolled my eyes at him. Did this guy not get sarcasm? I shrugged and continued walking away from him.

"Wait," he called out, but I kept on walking, sloshing through the many puddles that the recent storm had created. All too soon he was next to me, easily keeping pace.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," he said as we walked. It sure was, weirdo. I continued to ignored him to the best of my ability. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."

"Okay. That right there? That was also rude. Just because you think a person is absurd, doesn't mean they are. Besides that, why won't you just leave me alone?" I spat glaring at him heatedly.

A smile that seemed far too wide stretched across his face, "I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me." He chuckled dryly as we continued walking.

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I wryly, "Because you certainly act like you do."

Edward pouted and stated, "You're doing it again."

I took in a deep breath sighed tiredly, "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday - you know, the day of the spring dance -" he cheekily grinned at me, wiggling his eyebrows all the while.

"Are you _trying_ to be funny?" I hissed. I was not amused at all with this weird little game he was playing.

His face was wickedly amused, "Will you please allow me to finish?"

I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash. The urge to smack him was rising and I didn't know how long I could hold back on that idea now.

"I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride," he searched my face for something while I took in what he had just asked.

It was unexpected and totally creepy since I didn't recall ever telling him about what I had planned to do. Or fake planned to do at first anyways.

"What?" I asked him, still creepily surprised at what he had just asked and implied.

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?" he let out a patronizing sound as though I were some sort of dumb toddler.

My face twisted into a grimace as I shook my head, "Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, my truck works just fine." I started to walk away again, and hoped that this guy would stop trailing me.

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" he matched my pace again.

I rose my eyebrow at his insinuation and snapped, "I don't see how that is any of your business."

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business," he smugly declared.

"Honestly, Edward," I let out an exasperated sigh. I shot him a calculating look before shaking my head, "I can't keep up with your mood swings. I thought you didn't want to be my friend, but now you do?"

Edward shrugged, "I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up," I clapped my hands and shot him a hollow smile before rolling my eyes. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I didn't require my hood anymore. I shook my head and let my braid fall out of my hood. I let out a sigh.

Edward cleared his throat and muttered, "It would be more...prudent for you not to be my friend, but I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Eliza."

I snorted out a laugh and decided that this guy was clearly just crazy. I sighed, and decided if the crazy guy wanted a friend then he had one. If he did try to kill me though, I'd shot him in the head. I didn't want to end up missing like all the other people around here.

"Can I go with you to Seattle?" he asked, his eyes boring into me.

I let out a defeated whine, "Fine. Only because you really are persistent."

He smiled briefly, before seriously stating, "You really should stay away from me." His face morphed back into a smug bastard, "I'll see you in class." He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.

I watched his retreating back and muttered, "Fucking weirdo."


	5. Chapter 5

**5\. Dizzy**

It wasn't until the end of English that I realized Mike wasn't sitting in his usual seat next to me. I shrugged off the weird feeling of unfamiliarity and happily talked to Ashley. She was pretty nice, it turned out. In any case, he and Eric both met me at the door as usual, so I figured that everything was okay. For the most part at least. I idly wondered if this was because I had turned them down yesterday. I inwardly shrugged at that thought. I really didn't like them _that_ way though.

Mike seemed to be more like his usual self as we walked. He gained enthusiasm as he talked about the weather report for this weekend. The rain was supposed to take a minor break, so maybe his beach trip would be possible. I grinned at that thought. I hadn't been able to drop by at the reservation for a while now, which bothered me more than I could really say. It was nice seeing different parts of Forks though.

The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. It was difficult to believe that I hadn't just imagined my conversation with Edward since everything still seemed to be normal.

I entered the cafeteria with Jessica and Angela in tow. I was glad that lunch had finally arrived since I was starving. I took in the scent of taco Tuesday and smiled. I loved taco Tuesday. We all quickly bought our food and sat down at our usual table. Jessica enthused about her dance plans and passed me her share of hot sauce. I smiled gratefully at her kindness and continued gobbling up my lunch. Lauren and Angela asked the other boys and they were all going together apparently. They co-ordinated when we would have our own little get together to dance at my place. I rolled my eyes at their silliness and suggested the weekend after the dance. It could be a girls night in. I had done those with my mom, and they had always turned out pretty well. That was with my mom though.

I glanced at the weird table and found that only the other four were there, but Edward was absent. I shrugged and continued sipping on my soda. Jessica tapped my shoulder grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you again," Jessica stated pointing to a strangely deserted table. She hummed thoughtfully, "I wonder why he's sitting alone today."

I followed her gaze to see Edward, smiling crookedly, staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria from where he usually sat. Once he'd caught my eye, he raised one hand and motioned with his index finger for me to join him. I stared in disbelief as he proceeded to wink at me.

"What the fuck?" Jessica laughed shaking her head at what we both just saw. Angela looked over and giggled at the sight while Lauren rolled her eyes at him. I sighed and finished off my soda. Jessica shoved my shoulder when it looked like I was just going to let the weirdo be.

I made a face and stood up, "I guess I better go see what he wants. Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework."

The girls laughed and I could hear Jessica make kissing noises at me as I walked over to Edward. I laughed quietly to myself and sighed. I hoped that this would be quick.

When I reached his table I stood behind the chair across from him, and bluntly asked, "What?"

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked smiling that same sort of predatory smile he had given me a while ago.

I warily sat down, watching him with caution. I was glad I had finished eating before coming here because this seemed to be kind of a waste of time. He sat there silently, probably waiting for me to say something. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't a monkey to be watched, weirdo.

I coughed and shot him an uncomfortable look, "So this is _different_."

"Well..." he paused sighing. He shot me an awkward smile as the rest of the words fell out of his mouth in a rush, "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

I waited for him to say something that made sense. The seconds ticked by as the silence stretched on between us. I made a face and tartly pointed out, "That didn't make much sense contextually."

He barked out a laugh, "I know." I wondered if he knew how crazy he seemed. Maybe this was why other people didn't mingle with him. He cleared his throat and motioned to my previous table, "I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you."

I looked over and waved at them. The girls waved back and laughed while the boys heatedly glared at Edward. I laughed and shook my head, "They'll survive for now. Besides, I'll head back eventually."

"I may not give you back, though," he said with a wicked glint in his eyes.

I recoiled back and made a face at him, "That was a really creepy thing to say.

He shrugged and laughed, "You look worried."

"A little bit. Like I said, it was a kind of creepy thing to say," I stated making sure that there was enough space between the both of us.

Edward continued on smiling as though I hadn't called him creepy, "I got tired of trying to stay away from you so I'm giving up."

"Giving up?" I repeated in bewildered confusion. The hell?

"Yes - giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may," his smile faded and a hard edge crept into his voice.

A deep frown pulled on my lips as I stated, "You're still not making much sense." What was up with his cryptic statements?

A crooked smile reappeared onto his face as he nonchalantly stated, "I always say too much when I'm talking to you - that's one of my problems."

"One of your _many_ problems," I stated wryly arching my brow at him.

He grinned and shrugged, "We're friends now, but I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you." Behind his smile, the warning felt very real. I don't really know why he insisted on being friends if he thought he wasn't going to be a good one. I certainly didn't need anymore pseudo friends in my life. That just lead to trouble, and I was so **_done_ ** with falling into that kind of danger.

"I think you've made your point," my eyes narrowed at him as I stood up.

He smiled apologetically, "Please don't go."

"Okay?" I struggled to sum up this confusing exchange, but against my better judgment I sat down. I don't know what it was, but when he looked me in the eye...I felt compelled to listen for some reason. It was an unsettling feeling.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked curiously searching my face for something. For what, I wasn't too sure.

I looked up into his eyes, became befuddled and blurted out the truth, "I'm trying to figure out what you are." Too many things didn't add up with this guy, and it really scared me. I idly wished that my dad had let me have some sort of self defense weapon besides pepper spray.

His jaw tightened, but he kept a strained smile on his face. He cleared his throat and asked nervelessly, "Any luck with that?"

"Not right now, weirdo," I warily admitted biting my thumb.

He chuckled at my action, "What are your theories?"

My eye twitched and I brought hands back into my lap. I clenched my fists and grimaced. I had been vacillating during the last month between a vampire, a humanoid alien, and some sort of Frankenstein monster. There was no way I was going to own up to that though. It was rude to call someone a monster. Besides, magic wasn't real...right?

"Won't you tell me?" he asked, tilting his head to one side with a strangely tempting grin.

I shook my head as I bluntly stated, "I'd rather not."

"That's really frustrating, you know," he complained inching closer to me. Closer than I appreciated. I felt as though he was encroaching on my personal space.

"No," I disagreed quickly, my eyes narrowing, "I can't imagine why me not wanting to would be frustrating at all. Especially coming from the person making creepy cryptic remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean...now, why would that be frustrating?" I proceeded to then move further away from him.

He grimaced and pulled in closer to me, to my utter dismay.

"Or better yet...," I continued, the pent-up annoyance flowing freely now, "...Say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things - from saving your life under impossible circumstances and then proceeding to treat you like a pariah at the next moment. None of that would be fucking frustrating at all."

Edward roved his eyes over my face, a chilling expression spread across his face, "You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

"I'm aware," I tartly stated.

We stared at each other, and the atmosphere felt tense between us. He glanced over my shoulder, and unexpectedly snickered.

"What?" I let out an irritated sigh. What the fuck was this guy's problem? I should've never come over here if he was just going to irritate me to death.

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you - he's debating whether or not to come break up our fight," he snickered again.

I raised my brow at this comment and frostily said, "I don't have a boyfriend, but I wouldn't mind if my friends dragged me away from this gong show of a conversation."

He hummed and shrugged before looking at the empty space in front of me. A deep frown appeared on his face, "Aren't you hungry?"

"No. I already ate before I got here," I dryly said cracking my back. Out of politeness more than curiosity I asked, "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm not hungry," in the way he said it, it seemed as though just that sentence was some sort of inside joke. A dark joke by the looks of it.

He laughed quietly and gave me an entirely too wide smile, "Tell me one theory."

I sighed and shook my head, "I'd rather not." For the sake of being nice, I would not call him an irritating monster. Because...what else could he be? Superheros never looked like they wanted to kill people just because they wanted to. I also assumed superheros were much nicer to people too, so he was zero for two. This only meant that he was a villain. What sort of villain...I didn't know.

"Please, just one theory," he turned his eyes at me and I felt compelled to answer him, _again_. I hated how he did that. It was like I was being hypnotized, but I knew what was going on. I felt my pendant heat up and I sighed at my sensory hallucination. At least...that's what I thought it was.

"Please?" he breathed, leaning toward me. He looked down, and then glanced up at me through his long black lashes, his eyes felt scorching.

I blinked, my mind going blank. I was shaken out of my daze when I felt my pendant burn. I silently cursed and let out a breath, "Frankenstein?"

He looked taken aback for a moment before he scoffed, "That's not very creative."

"Well, you asked," I stated, irritated at how he was acting.

"You're wrong, but you are close," he teased, mischief morphing his expression into something playful and scary.

"Huh. Well, okay," I shrugged and fingered my pendant. It felt cool to touch and I sighed. Was I going crazy? Was Edward actually driving me crazy?

The silence reigned between us until the bell ran. I stood up and gave him a dry expression, "Class is going to start soon."

"I'm not going to class today," he stated as he got up as well.

I raised my brow at his statement, "Why not?" As far as I knew, ditching was pretty bad. The only exception to this was senior ditch day.

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then," he smiled up at me, but his eyes were still troubled.

"Well...alright. I'll see you later then," I stated as I speed walked away from him. That was the strangest lunch I had ever had.

He called out to me as I walked away, "I'll see you later, Eliza."

I paused for a moment before continuing on my way. The way he said my name...It sounded like a warning and like he wanted something as well. What a fucking weirdo.

I settled quickly into my seat in my Biology class, aware that both Mike and Angela were staring at me. Mike looked resentful for some reason and Angela looked both surprised and worried. I shot Angela a reassuring look and she mouthed a silent 'later?' I nodded. I would definitely be telling my friends and parents about what the fuck just happened.

Mr. Banner came into the room and called the class to order. He was juggling a few small cardboard boxes in his arms. He put them down onto Mike's table and told him to start passing them around the class.

"Okay, guys, I want all of you to take one piece from each box," he stated as he produced a pair of blue hospital gloves on from the pocket of his lab coat and pulled them on.

"The first should be an indicator card," he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it.

"The second is a four-pronged applicator -" he held up something that looked like a nearly toothless hair pick "- and the third is a sterile micro-lancet."

He held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open. The barb was invisible from this distance, but my stomach flipped. I thought blood typing was done with the whole fake stuff. Was that even allowed here? I looked around and found that none of the other students seemed worried. This was not normal.

"I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you," he began at Mike's table again, carefully putting one drop of water into each of the four squares.

"Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet..." he grabbed Mike's hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of Mike's middle finger. To Mike's credit, he hardly flinched. I shook my head and felt my stomach churn. Clammy moisture broke out across my forehead.

"Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs," he demonstrated, squeezing Mike's finger till the blood flowed. I swallowed convulsively, my stomach turning over the food I had eaten earlier. Needles. God damn needles.

"And then apply it to the card," he finished, holding up the dripping red card for us to see. I closed my eyes, trying to hear through the ringing in my ears. I hated needles. I hated needles so much...more than heights and spiders combined.

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type," he sounded proud of himself.

He gave us all a calculating grin, "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission - I have slips at my desk." I snorted inwardly. My parents would never let me give blood. I never really knew why, but they were okay with me receiving blood. Especially after the first accident.

He continued through the room with his water drops. I put my cheek against the cool black tabletop and tried to stomp down the nausea. All around me I could hear squeals, complaints, and giggles as my classmates skewered their fingers. I breathed slowly in and out through my mouth.

"Eliza, are you all right?" Mr. Banner asked. His alarmed voice was close to my head.

"I already know my blood type, Mr. Banner," I weakly murmured. Just the thought of getting a shot made me feel faint. Whenever I had to take my flu shot, my mom had to hold me down. I don't know where the fear stemmed from, but I never got over it.

Mr. Banner worriedly asked, "Are you feeling faint?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered, internally kicking myself for not ditching when I had the chance. I wasn't ready to face this fear yet.

"Can someone take Eliza to the nurse, please?" he called out to the class.

I didn't have to look up to know that it would be Mike who volunteered since I doubt if I fainted, Angela would be able to drag my dead weight. No offense to the petite girl, but I honestly didn't think she could lift me.

"Can you walk?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Yes," I whispered. Just let me get out of here. I'll crawl if I have to.

Mike put his arm around my waist and pulled my arm over his shoulder. I leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom.

Mike towed me slowly across campus. After a while I felt like I was too dizzy to move. I spotted a bench and inwardly sagged in relief.

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" I begged.

He helped me sit onto the edge of a nearby bench. I slumped over onto my side, putting my cheek against the cold, damp wood of the bench. I concentrated on calming my breaths as I closed my eyes. That seemed to help a little.

"Wow, you're green, Eliza," Mike stated nervously. I inwardly smiled. Heh. I won't barf on you Mike. At least...I'll try not to.

"Elizabeth?" a different voice called out from the distance.

I sighed inwardly as my breathing evened out. I really didn't need more of Edward Crazypants right now.

"What's wrong - is she hurt?" His voice was closer now, and he sounded upset. For whatever reason, I wasn't too sure.

I felt Mike rub my shoulder as he worriedly stated, "I think she fainted. I don't know what happened since she didn't even stick her finger."

"Eliza," Edward's voice was right beside my head. He breathed out a quiet question, "Can you hear me?"

"No," I groaned pulling my arm across my face. I mumbled out an irritated, "Go away."

He chuckled and I felt him get up and stand up. I was happy that he had retreated out of my personal bubble of space.

"I was taking her to the nurse, but she couldn't go any farther," Mike defensibly murmured. I felt a shadow come across me and noted that he had taken a defensive stance in front of me when I pried open one eye to take a gander at what was going on. I closed my eye and shook my head. Nope. I did not want to deal with this.

"I'll take her. You can go back to class," Edward eagerly stated as he side stepped Mike.

"No, I'm supposed to do it," Mike weakly protested.

Suddenly the bench disappeared from beneath me. My eyes flew open in shock. Edward had scooped me up in his arms without even asking if I was okay with that.

"Put me down!" I squirmed and protested as he kept walking away from where I had been.

"Hey!" Mike called out, already ten paces behind us.

Edward ignored him. "You look awful," he told me, grinning.

"Put me back down," I moaned. The rocking movement of his walk was not helping. He held me away from his body, gingerly, supporting all my weight with just his arms - it didn't seem to bother him.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" he asked. This seemed to entertain him.

I shook my head, "No. That's not it."

I don't know how he opened the door while carrying me, but it was suddenly warm, so I knew we were inside.

"Oh my," I heard Mrs. Coop's familiar voice.

"She fainted in Biology," Edward explained.

I opened my eyes. I was in the office, and Edward was striding past the front counter towards the nurse's door. Mrs. Coop, ran ahead of him to hold it open. The grandmotherly nurse looked up from a novel, astonished, as Edward swung me into the room and placed me gently on the crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. Then he moved to stand against the wall far across the narrow room. His eyes were bright, excited.

"She's just a little faint. They're blood typing in Biology," he reassured the startled nurse.

The nurse nodded sagely, "There's always one." I sighed inwardly and decided to let them think whatever they wanted to. It wasn't the blood that scared me. I couldn't be a cop in the future if I couldn't handle a little blood. No...it was needles that really bothered me.

He muffled a snicker as the nurse fluttered over me. I felt her take my vital signs in a quick succession. She gently stated, "Just lie down for a minute, honey, it'll pass."

"Thank you," I mumbled as she walked away from me to probably chart all of this. The nausea was already fading. My breathing had evened out and I felt much better. I doubted that I could go back and face those needles though...

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked as I heard her scribbling away.

"Sometimes," I admitted, pulling my arm across my eyes. I heard Edward coughed to hide another laugh.

"You can go back to class now," she told him. I lifted my arm and watched Edward's face change into something serious.

"I'm supposed to stay with her," he stated with such assured authority that - even though she clearly didn't agree - the nurse didn't argue it further. I bet it was because he hypnotized her.

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear," she said to me before she bustled out of the room.

"You scared me for a minute there," he admitted after a pause. His tone made it sound like he was confessing a humiliating weakness. He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled, "I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods."

"Ha ha," I closed my eyes at that comment. I really hoped he was joking anyways.

"Honestly - I've seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder," he laughed at his poor attempt at humor.

I nodded letting out a tired murmur, "Mike's probably mad that you took over his job."

"He absolutely loathes me," Edward said cheerfully.

"You can't know that," I argued, but then I wondered suddenly if he could. He was apparently able to hypnotize people...what else was he able to do?

"I saw his face - I could tell," he seriously stated.

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching," I was both curious and suspicions about what he was really doing. He seemed like the type to plot out schemes that only really benefited him.

"I was in my car, listening to a CD." Such a normal response - it surprised me.

I heard the door open and pried open my eyes to see the nurse with a cold compress in her hand.

"Here you go, dear," she laid it across my forehead.

"You're looking better," she added.

"I think I'm fine," I said, sitting up. I wasn't dizzy anymore and the walls stayed exactly where they were. I could see she was about to make me lie back down, but the door opened just then, and Mrs. Coop stuck her head in.

"We've got another one," she warned.

I hopped down to free up the cot for the next patient. I handed the compress back to the nurse, "Thank you, but I think the next patient may need this more than me."

She shot me a surprised smile as Mike staggered through the door, now supporting a sallow-looking Lee Stephens, another boy in our Biology class. Edward and I drew back against the wall to give them some room.

"Oh no...Get out to the office, Eliza," Edward muttered.

I looked up at him, bewildered and slightly angry. Why did he believe he could just push me around?

"Trust me – go," he pushed me out of the room effortlessly.

I grimaced at his pushy behavior, "I wish you wouldn't do that." Edward didn't say a thing at my dry comment. It was almost like he was pretending I hadn't said a thing.

Mike came through the door then, glancing from me to Edward. The look he gave Edward confirmed what Edward had said about loathing. He looked back at me, his eyes glum.

"You look better," he stated looking at my face. His eyebrows knitted together as a frown marred his face.

"Are you going back to class?" he tilted his head and cautiously questioned.

"Probably not. If everyone is still pricking themselves...well...I'd probably just have to turn around and come back," I shrugged and sighed at the thought of facing more needles. I just...I just couldn't.

"Yeah, I guess...so are you coming to the beach this weekend?" While he spoke, he flashed another glare at Edward, who was standing against the cluttered counter, motionless and staring off into space. The weirdo that he was.

I smiled at that thought. I really missed going to the beach. I missed my other friends, my childhood friends, but I hadn't had any real time to spend with them since I got here. I hoped that they wouldn't hold it against me. I nodded and enthused, "Of course."

"We're meeting at my mom's store, at ten," his eyes flickered to Edward again, a sour look coloring his face.

"I'll be there," I promised gently punching his shoulder.

"I'll see you in Gym, then," he stated, moving uncertainly toward the door.

"See you," I replied waving at him slightly. He worriedly looked at me once more, his round face slightly pouting, as he walked slowly through the door.

"Gym," I groaned as I recalled that the coach had wanted to do another round of volleyball this afternoon.

"I can take care of that," he spoke into my ear.

"Go sit down and look pale," he muttered, a commanding tone colored his voice. I made a face at how he didn't realize the rules of personal space or how he spoke to me.

I shook my head and complied in any case. I really didn't want to get hit on the head with a volleyball today. I sat down on one of the folding chairs and rested my head against the wall with my eyes closed. Fainting spells always exhausted me. It was just another reason why needles were just a deal breaker for me.

I heard Edward speaking softly at the counter to Mrs. Coop, "Mrs. Coop?"

She sweetly asked, "Yes?"

"Eliza has Gym in the next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough," he stated. I inwardly cursed at myself. I should've just told Mrs. Coop... She would've understood. I realized that I hated the feeling of Edward speaking for me as though I was a mute. It didn't feel right having someone be my mouth piece when I had my own perfectly functioning mouth.

"I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?" his voice was like melting honey at that moment and I felt my pendant burn again. I sighed and shook that thought away. I fingered my pendant and felt the cool metal surface.

"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?" Mrs. Coop asked with this dazed sort of look. It honestly looked like she had been hypnotized.

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, and she won't mind," Edward stated.

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Eliza," she called to me as she scribbled something down.

I nodded weakly, "Thank you, Mrs. Coop."

She smiled at me and nodded as Edward and I made our way to the door.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" with his back to the receptionist, his expression became sarcastic.

I raised my brow at this and shook my head, "I can walk."

He held the door for me. His smile was polite, but his eyes were clearly mocking. I shook my head at that. Edward was two faced as far as I could see. It just made the concept of being his friend all the more hard to swallow.

I walked out into the cold, a fine mist had started to fall. It felt nice as it washed my face clean of the sticky perspiration I had earlier.

I breathed in the cold clean air. I gave Edward an appraising look after I heard the door close behind him, "Thanks."

"Anytime," he was staring straight forward, squinting into the misting rain.

"So are you coming to the beach too?" I was hoping he wouldn't. I would prefer not having to deal with his asshole self out of school if I could help it. Besides, I really wanted to spend some time with my friends without him butting in.

"Where are you all going, exactly?" he was still looking ahead, expressionless. It was kind of creepy

"Down to La Push, to First Beach," I stated as I glanced at his blank face. His eyes seemed to narrow as a deep frown appeared onto his face.

He glanced down at me from the corner of his eye, smiling wryly, "I really don't think I was invited."

I nodded giving him a slight smile, "Yeah. I don't think Mike really wanted you to come either."

After a while we found our way to the parking lot. I veered left, toward my truck, but something caught my anorak yanking me back.

I glared back at Edward and had the damnest urge to flip him off. What the fuck, guy?

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, apparently outraged. He was gripping a fistful of my anorak in one hand, and I felt personally offended at how he was treating me.

"Dude, the fuck? Let me go. I wanna go home," I gruffly stated, turning to swat his hand away. I knew that if I tried to rip it out of his grip, my poor anorak wouldn't make it. His grip was scarily strong.

He loosened his grip and let me go after pausing for a moment. He shot a disapproving look in my direction, firmly stating, "Didn't you hear me promise to take you home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" His voice was indignant, and I seriously wanted to smack him at this point. Who did this mother fucker think he was?

"I'm fine. I have a truck that works, and I do _not_ appreciate being talked to as though I were a child. And just for _**your information**_. You didn't say a **word** about _**driving**_ me home. Not that I would let you, in either case," I firmly stated glaring at him heatedly.

"Okay...I might not have said that, but I do intend on taking you home. It'll be safer since you might still be a little hazy from your fainting spell earlier. I'll have Alice drop off your truck, and I suppose I'm sorry for talking down to you," he stated staring at me impatiently.

I inched towards my truck, but before I got too far he put a firm hand on my shoulder. I turned and shot him an irritated look, "What?"

"Please?" he pleaded and I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. My resolve wavered and I felt my pendant burn again. I shook off the strange feeling that swept through me. I clutched at my pendant again, only to feel it's cool golden surface. He looked at me expectantly and I sighed as I warily acquiesced.

"You are seriously really pushy," I stated shaking my head as I got into his car. I really hoped that he wouldn't take me to the woods and murder me. He honestly seemed like the type, though. I hoped that Alice wouldn't damage my truck. A curious thought struck me. I didn't leave my keys with her, which made me wonder about how she was going to get my truck back to my house. How did any of them know where I lived any ways? Didn't these guys just move here two years ago?

"This is still completely unnecessary," I said stiffly as I buckled myself in.

He didn't answer. He fiddled with the controls, turning the heater up and the music down. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I recognized the music that filled the confines of his car and my curiosity got the better of me.

"Clair de Lune?" I asked, both surprised and wary.

"You know Debussy?" he sounded surprised, too.

"Not well. My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house, so really I only know the ones that I like," I muttered looking outside the window. The world blurred into a gray and green. It felt like we were going way past the speed limit, and I felt the surge of fear sprout in my stomach. Was this guy going to crash and kill us both? I bit my thumb unsure about what to do. I should've never trusted the weirdo.

"What is your mother like?" he asked me suddenly.

I glanced over to see him studying me with curious eyes. I placed my hands down into my lap and clenched them slightly. I would have to text her about this new development. Oh! I'd definitely have to text my friends about this too. Weirdest day ever.

I kept my guard up, but decided that it wouldn't' hurt to talk about my mom. She was all the way in Phoenix. What could this guy possibly do to hurt her?

I cleared my throat, "She's sweet, quirky and sunny. She's a lot braver than I am. She's the best mom ever. I look exactly like her, except for my eyes. She's my best friend." I stopped, deciding that he really didn't need to know more than that.

"How old are you, Eliza?" his voice sounded frustrated for some reason. He parked the car and turned off the engine. It occurred to me that we were already at my house. The rain was so heavy that I could barely see the house at all. It was like the car was submerged under a river.

"I'm seventeen," I responded, a little confused at his line of questioning.

He looked at me with an odd sort of expression, "You don't seem seventeen."

His question reminded me of what my mom always said when I was too serious. Just the thought of that memory made me inwardly laugh. Edward looked at me expectantly and I sighed. My smile faded somewhat as I said, "My mom always says I was born twenty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged every year the more serious I get."

He made a face and I sighed. I suppose it would be rude to just bolt out of the car. I cleared my throat and asked, "What about your parents?"

"They died many years ago," his tone was matter-of-fact.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, shooting him an apologetic look.

He waved away my apology and stated, "I don't really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a _very_ long time now."

"And you love them," I stated in a similar matter-of-fact tone. It was clear in the way that he talked about them.

"Yes. I couldn't imagine two better people," a soft smile pulled at his lips. I quirked my brow at this. It was the first sincere smile I had ever seen on his face thus far.

"Well...I better go. Thanks for the ride," I unbuckled my seat belt and pulled at the door handle.

Edward put a hand on my shoulder before I could get out, "You probably don't have to tell your dad about the Biology incident." He grinned at me with his too white teeth. For a moment...I swear I thought I saw fangs.

I shot him a wary smile and sarcastically stated, "I'm sure he's already heard. There are no secrets in Forks after all."

He laughed a cynical sort of laugh before saying, "Sure. Have fun at the beach. It should be good weather for sunbathing." He glanced out at the sheeting rain.

I nodded, "Thanks, I guess."

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" he turned to look me straight in the face, utilizing the full power of his burning eyes.

I nodded helplessly and felt my pendant heat up. I flinched and let out an irritated sigh, "What?" I fingered my pendant and wondered why it kept doing that. I honestly doubted that was hallucinating these sensations at this point.

"Don't be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So...try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?" he smiled crookedly, his tone mocking.

Even when you say no offense, offense is usually taken, jackass. I glared at him as I opened up the car door, before snapping, "I'll see what I can do." I jumped out into the rain and slipped out my mini-umbrella from my anorak pocket. I popped it open as I got out before I slammed the car door behind me with excessive force.

He was still smiling as he drove away. What an utter bastard.


	6. Chapter 6

**6\. The Beach**

As I sat in my room, drying off and fuming over the weirdest car trip ever, I heard the familiar sound of my car's engine roar. I peeked around my curtains and noted that my truck was suddenly there. I pulled on a sweater and shivered. These people were really creepy. I texted my mom and friends about what happened, and waited for their replies. I waited, and waited, but I received no replies. I told my dad about Edward's weird behavior when he came home, but he just gave me a stern lecture about not judging a book by its, creepy, cover. He strangely approved of me still going to Seattle with the Cullen weirdo as well. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't really like it at all. I fell into a fitful sleep that night, but at least the T3s helped the pain in my legs.

The next day at school wasn't as easy as I had initially hoped. There were _a lot_ of fainting comments and inquires about my health. Some of them nice, and some of them _not_ so nice. Jessica hovered over me like a mother hen throughout both of our classes. I reassured her that I was perfectly fine, but she kept casting me worried glances now and again. I appreciated their concern, but it really wasn't that bad.

"So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked in Trig.

I raised my brow at her and asked, "Didn't you get my text?"

She shook her head, "Nope."

I made a face and sighed, "That's weird. Well I texted you and the others about what happened yesterday, but I guess it didn't go through for some reason..."

Jessica frowned and pouted a little, "You'd think technology would be better than that."

I shot her a lopsided grin, "I know, right?"

She shrugged and poked my shoulder, "So spill. What happened?"

"We talked in circles and now I think we're friends. At least that's what he _may_ have meant? I'm not actually too sure since he never really got to the point," I answered, a confused expression made its way onto my face.

"He is a weird guy. I wonder what he really wanted," she said as she took down the notes from the blackboard.

I nodded and wrote out the same notes into my notebook, "Yeah. I don't really know. He was being kind of creepy though."

Jessica tapped her lip with her pencil and nodded, "Yeah...I guess they are kind of creepy. You know, I've never seen him sit with anyone, but his family before. That was weird."

"Weird," I agreed, and internally sighed. He was more than just strange. I didn't dare mention what he did after my whole 'fainting' incident though. I felt the oddest fear that the walls had ears. It didn't help that when I felt my pendant again, it actually felt hot. It was just further proof that something odd was going on here.

I walked in the cafeteria with Jessica, Angela, and Mike, and sat at our usual table after everyone had gotten some food. Everyone was full of excitement for our plans for the next day. I nodded as the girls enthused about what they wanted to do. As I dug into my hot dog and milkshake, I chipped in and talked about how great the bonfires were when I was growing up. Mike was animated throughout the entire conversation. He put a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised us sunshine tomorrow. I grinned and thought about finally seeing my godfather, godbrother and my childhood friends. It would be great seeing them again.

That night at dinner my dad made his three cheese lasagna. We talked about our days as per usual and, my dad was enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me home alone on most weekends, but I knew that he couldn't help that. I told him all about the group that was going and he seemed to approve of everyone. I idly wondered if he knew all of the kids that I knew. I shrugged and hoped that they were all vetted. I didn't really want to end up in one of those case file murder mysteries if I could help it.

I looked at my phone later that night and texted my mom again. I copied and pasted my other message, hoping that this text would finally go through. I didn't have to wait long for my phone to buzz and I let out a breath of relief as I read her message:

"Hi sweetie. I didn't get your last message, but I'm glad you texted. I'm sorry you have to deal with a creep at school. Make sure you keep your pepper spray on you at all times. If your dad said that he seems like an okay guy...he may just be that. I would keep on my guard though, since he does sound like a jackass. Never take off your pendant. Phil and I are doing well, but you know that I don't really know much about baseball to keep up with what he's doing. Florida's okay, but I still miss Phoenix. Phil said that we'd only be staying here for a year, so at least we'll go home eventually. Find anything neat in my little home town? I love you more than a million sparkly shoes."

I grinned at her message and quickly tapped my own response:

"I love you a million apple cinnamon scones. They _still_ don't have a Rolling Scones bakery and cafe here. It's a shame because I really miss their macaroons and frappuccinos. I always have my pepper spray on me mom, and he is a total condescending asshole even if he wants to be friends. I never take off my pendant, but it's acting freakishly weird. It gets hot at random times, and I know I'm not delusional because I double checked if I was right. What's going on? On a different note, I'm glad that you guys are doing okay. We're going to La Push tomorrow, and I'm so excited!"

My mom rapidly responded to me:

"If it's heating up, then you have to _never_ take it off, sweetheart. For the sake of my heart, don't take it off. Stay away from anyone that it heats up around, okay? Don't ask questions...just do that for me, baby girl. The next time I see you, I'll tell you everything. I promise. I'm glad you're excited to go to La Push. If you do want to hang out anywhere, make sure most of the time is spent there. Okay? Say hi to your dad, Billy, and Jacob for me. Sleep tight, snuggle bug."

I shrugged and sighed. Not more cryptic messages, and from my _mother_ of all people. I decided not to reply to this message since I knew that she would assume that I would just do as she said. I usually did. I took another T3, locked my window shut, and fell into a fitful sleep.

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I happily noted that my window stayed locked throughout the night. Maybe I was just imagining things? I pulled open my curtains and basked in the warm sunlight. Clouds hung on the horizon moving along through a clear blue sky. It would be a good day today. Well...I really hoped that it would.

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store before when my dad was driving me home from the airport, but I'd never really found a reason to stop there. I wasn't much of a hiking person most of the time. The mood really had to strike me, before I would even consider going.

In the parking lot I recognized Mike's Suburban, Tyler's Sentra, Jessica's Jeep, and Angela's Toyota. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with Ben, Conner, Lee and Mike. Jessica was also there with Angela, Lauren, Ashley, Whitney, and Bree. I parked my car near them and hopped out. I waved at them and they excitedly waved back.

Mike pushed past the girls, which garnered him a couple glares, as he took me into tight hug, "I told you it would be sunny today!"

I rolled my eyes and patted his back, "I know, you were right."

Jessica rolled her eyes and helped pry Mike off of my person. She gave me a hug, and soon I had made my hug rounds. I leaned against Angela and pouted. She patted my head and gently said, "We're just waiting for Samantha now...We'll be leaving soon."

I grinned at that comment and settled down beside Angela. I really hoped that Samantha wouldn't take too long. Once she finally made it here; thirty minutes late, we divided up who would go where. I was riding with Mike, Jessica, Angela, Tyler and Ben. Eric was riding with Lauren, Ashley, Whitney, Bree, Samantha, Lee, and Conner in Eric's mom's minivan.

It didn't take us too long to get to La Push from the northern part of Forks. During the journey I took in the gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking between the trees. I was glad I had the window seat. We rolled the windows all the way down, letting cool air circulate throughout the car; I tried to absorb as much sunlight and air as possible. I loved how the air swirled around us, even if some of us ended up with hair in our mouths.

I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times during my summers with my dad, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach felt like home to me. Just like La Push itself did. Even with that thought in mind, I still found it breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but up close I knew that they were every shade a stone could be: terracotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds lazily drifted through the vibrant blue sky, and the sun shone down warming everything.

When we finally parked, we made our way down to the beach. Mike led the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for previous bonfire parties. There was a fire pit already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a tepee shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire before?" Mike asked us. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches beside the other girls.

A couple girls shook their heads and I murmured, "You're going to be in for a treat."

Mike knelt by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a zippo lighter. He placed the blazing twig carefully against the tepee and grinned at us.

"Watch the colors," he stated as he lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to devour the dry wood.

"It's blue and green," Jessica gasped in surprise. I grinned and watched the different colors dance in the fire. Ahh...this was nice.

"The salt does it. It's pretty, isn't it?" he grinned at Jessica and lit one more piece. He placed it where the fire hadn't yet caught, and then came to sit by Jessica. She turned to him and they fell into an enthusiastic easy conversation. I watched the blue and green flames crackle towards the sky as I inhaled in the familiar scents of the beach. I looked out towards the deserted beach and inwardly frowned. None of my childhood friends were out here. I had honestly thought that since the sun was out, they would be having fun here too. I made a mental note to visit their houses instead of going to the beach next time.

After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fascinated me since I was a child; they were one of the many things I looked forward to whenever I visited my godfather and godbrother in La Push. On the other hand, I'd also fallen into them, _a lot_. I wasn't notoriously clumsy, but I could never keep my footing around tide pools for some reason. I deiced to fuck it. I loved the tide pools, and I wouldn't let a little fear of falling into them again get me down. I managed to convince Angela and Jessica to come along too, so if I did fall I knew I had people that wouldn't make fun of me. The others stayed on the beach opting to veg out in the sunshine instead.

The hike wasn't too long, and with the joking and goofing around, time seemed to speed on by. I carefully avoided roots below and branches above, and we made it to our destination. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously. I was spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges obscuring the crabs within them, and starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and to each other. I found one small black eel, with white racing stripes, weaving through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed until my stomach grumbled.

I looked up to find that the others were muttering about being hungry too. I got up, shook out my stiff legs, and followed after them. Angela and Jessica were nice enough to wait for me, and we hiked back in amiable silence.

When we got back to First Beach, the group we'd left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation. I searched their faces and found a couple people that I recognized. I inwardly squealed, and held down the urge to run and hug them all. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I actually saw them.

The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried on over to claim a share of the food. Angela and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a couple of the people sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I clambered over and hugged them. They laughed and said that it was great to see me again. I happily sat down next to Angela; who had thoughtfully brought over a sandwich and soda for each of us. Sam introduced themselves to the others, and we all fell into an easy conversation about how nice the day was. Soon enough we were all digging into our respective meals.

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike and Jessica headed up to one of the shops in the village. Some of the local kids went with them and others went along on the hike. After a few minutes Angela and a bunch of others left to go hiking to the tide poos.

Jacob soon wandered away from his group to take sit by my side. He looked just as I remembered him; long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. We were the same age, but he still stood taller than me. His skin had darkened, since the last time I had seen him, into something more russet-colored. I gently punched his shoulder and he stuck his tongue out at me.

He blew a raspberry at me and stuck out his lower lip, "You're late, Eliza."

I let out a barking laugh, very reminiscent of my dad's laugh, and rolled my eyes, "It's not the summer, so technically I'm super early."

He rolled his eyes at me and looked into the ongoing bonfire, "So...how's my dad's truck?"

I leaned against his shoulder and murmured, "It's good. I'm sorry about uncle Billy."

Jacob shook me off and made a face at me again, "He's fine. How's uncle Charlie?" I could see that he was still touchy about his dad not being able to walk. He was able to walk when I got here last summer...I wish I knew what _really_ happened.

"Oh. Dad's okay. That new case of disappearances has him working over-time though," I said frowning slightly. Jacob handed me a cookie from his pocket, which I happily accepted. It was one of those wrapped ones that came from vending machines. I quickly shed it's wrapper, pocketing it, and split the cookie in half.

I offered him half of the cookie which he gladly took. He hummed as he ate it and asked, "So how do you _really_ like the truck? I know it's pretty old, but my dad and I worked on it so it would run better."

"I love it. It runs great, and I'm really grateful for the digital radio. The USB hubs come in handy when I want to charge my phone," I grinned at him as I munched on my half of the cookie.

"Yeah, but it's still really slow," he laughed. A mischievous smile tugged at his lips as he whispered, "I was so relived when uncle Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"What a dastardly good plan, good sir. And just so you know, it's not that slow," I objected, lightly shoving his side.

He shrugged and gave me an impish look, "Have you tried to go over a hundred?"

"No," I admitted. I didn't really find any reason to do a hundred anyways. Besides, the maximum speed limit on the highway was ninety.

"Good. Don't," he grinned.

I laughed and added, "It does great in a collision though. No one can beat the Behemoth."

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," he agreed with deep laugh.

"So you build cars now?" I asked, impressed with the amount of progress he had gone through. It was only a couple summers ago when he could only really change a car's tires.

"Yup. When I have free time and parts, I can make pretty cool things. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" he added jokingly.

I raised my brow at that and laughed, "Sorry, man. I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you." I would make sure to look on the internet. It would make for a pretty kick ass birthday gift, which solved my problem as to what to get him this year.

He flashed a brilliant smile, "No lame birthday gifts this year." I rolled my eyes at him and made a mental note to also get him plastic poo because, sometimes, he was just a little shit.

"You know Eliza, Jacob?" Lauren asked from across the fire.

"We've known each other since we were babies," he laughed, smiling at me again.

"How nice," she said in her usual snotty tone. I knew that she didn't mean to be mean. It was just like her resting bitch face. She really couldn't help herself.

"It was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today," she looked at the fire pit and pouted. I don't know why she liked them. I personally thought they were all kind of creepy. Besides, my pendant hadn't gotten hot all day and I figured that had something to do with them.

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" Sam asked raising a brow and narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, do you know them?" she asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him. I shook my head at that action of hers. I honestly didn't think she knew that she was doing it again.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a tone that clearly had a sense in finality to it. Maybe that's why my mom wanted me to stick around here more often. More and more questions piled up after those cryptic words.

Tyler asked Lauren's opinion on a CD he held and sufficiently distracted her.

I stared at Sam and noted that he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. He'd said that the Cullens didn't come here, but his tone had implied something more. It was almost like they weren't _allowed_ to set foot here. His cryptic sentence left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

Jacob startled me out of my thoughts, "So is Forks driving you insane yet?"

"Oh, not yet. It's hard to go crazy when it's been pretty nice here," I shot him a lopsided grin. He beamed and nodded apparently agreeing with my statement.

"Do you want to walk down the beach with me?" I asked reminiscing about the times we played tag along this very beach when we were little.

He shrugged and nodded. I could count on Jacob to help me out when I wanted to get away from people. We walked at an easy pace north across the multicolored stones toward the driftwood seawall. The clouds had closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my anorak.

"Not cold?" I asked zipping up my anorak when I found that my torso was also getting colder.

He shook his head and motioned to his thin jacket, "This thing keeps me warm enough."

"Really?" I raised my brow at that comment.

He cheekily smiled at me, "It's because I run warmer than you. Obviously this means I'm better."

I rolled my eyes at him and pinched his cheek, "Whatever Mr. Farts-a-lot."

"You know it's true," he stated with a grin as we took a seat on one of the driftwood logs.

"What do you think Sam meant about the Cullens?" I looked out at the churning sea still contemplating what all this freakishly weird stuff meant. I had a sinking feeling that I may not have been as safe as I had hoped.

"The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation. They're banned," he looked out toward James Island. The waves licked against the rocks and I felt a shiver of fear run through me.

"Why not?" I dreaded the answer, but I felt like I had to know.

He glanced back at me, biting his lip, "Do you remember the Quileute legends my dad used to tell us on our camping trips as kids?"

"Some, but not all. The stories kind of freaked me out, so I tried to forget them," I nodded and picked up a stick drawing doodles in the sand.

He frowned and sighed, "Well, there's one legend that claims that we descended from wolves - and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's still against tribal law to kill them. Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His face took on a dark quality that I didn't like. I hated seeing that expression on a person I considered as my little brother.

I leaned my head against his shoulder and worriedly muttered, "The cold ones?"

He spotted my worried expression and pulled on a strained smile, "There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolves and werewolves. The wolves turn into men though, so the legend says. Not like werewolves, but more like shape shifters."

"You mean, like in Harry Potter?" I asked helpfully.

Jacob rolled his eyes at me and let out a snorting laugh, "Yeah, you Potter nut."

I stared at him impatiently, "And?"

"Bossy. Hold on and let me continue... so the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. This coven that came to our territory, during my great-grandfather's time, were different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did, they didn't seem as dangerous, so my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the outside world," Jacob stated solemnly.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why...?" I tried to understand, but I had trouble wrapping my mind around it.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones. Even if they were civilized like this coven was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist," he said in a thick Transylvanian accent.

I rolled my eyes on that note, "What do you mean, 'civilized'?" I could easily conclude that cold ones meant vampires, but how could monsters like that be civilized? I had seen all those horror movies, and aside from the romanticized ones on TV and in several books, they were still pretty scary.

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to get blood through other means," he blandly stated as though that tidbit wasn't both surprising and suspicious.

I tried to keep my voice steady and casual, "So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great grandfather met?"

He shook his head and searched my face for something. I don't think he saw whatever it was because he steadily continued on, "Nope. They're the same ones. There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same."

I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, a deep frown marred my face. This spelled really bad news for me. I clutched at my pendant and shivered in fear. I did not want to disappear like those side characters in horror stories.

"You have goose bumps," he laughed delightedly. I doubted that my godbrother really thought much of that legend. If he only saw them for himself...then he would believe. Did my mother know about this? Why would she let me go here if she knew there was danger? Is that why she really left? So many questions swirled in my mind.

My mouth felt as dry as hot sand when I croaked out, "You're a good storyteller."

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone. Don't say anything to uncle Charlie, though. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there," Jacob stated seriously.

I nodded feeling all too faint. I didn't really want to go to the hospital there for anything ever again...now that I knew what they were. A tendril of fear wrapped around my heart as I quietly and firmly stated, "I won't."

I really wished that I could though, but I had the scary idea that if I did tell anyone...I wouldn't be alive to see the consequences.

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" he asked playfully, probably trying to get me to stop being so sullen.

I pulled on a strained smile. It would be safer if he didn't know. Ignorance was bliss, wasn't it? I shook my head, "No. I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see?" I held up my arm.

"Cool," he grinned. We continued sitting on the driftwood log watching the water. The sea looked rough and dark, and I couldn't help but allude that to my oncoming journey. Would I make it out here alive? What about my friends and family? I wished I could just take all of Forks and put it on the La Push boundary side where everyone would be safe. Were these guys like normal vampires? I had to know, and I would Google the shit out of the subject once I got home.

The sound of the beach rocks clattering against each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away, walking toward us.

"There you are, Eliza!" Mike called out in relief, waving his arm over his head. Jessica enthusiastically waved at us as well. Did no one tell them where we were? I inwardly rolled my eyes at both Mike's and Jessica's mother hen tendencies.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Jacob playfully asked wiggling his eyebrows. He always made fun of me for not having a boyfriend yet at seventeen, or a first date really, since he had already had both last year. I saw how sad he was when his girlfriend dumped him though, so I didn't quite see the appeal of it all yet. Especially since the one guy I did want, was apparently off limits. At least, whenever I brought it up with him anyways.

I swatted the back of his head gently and rolled my eyes, "No, definitely not."

I punched his shoulder gently and grinned, "You should come see me and my dad in Forks. We could hang out sometime and play on my Wii."

He made a face at my statement and teased, "Meh. PC's are so much better than consoles. I thought you were supposed to me the older smarter one."

I stuck my tongue out at this comment, "I am _**both**_ the older and smarter one, grasshopper."

Jacob pinched my cheek and happily chirped, "Only by five months, shortie." I swatted his hand away, grimacing. Stupid tall people. Jacob was already a whopping six feet three and I was still stuck being five foot six.

Mike had reached us now, with Jessica still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob as though my godbrother would hurt me somehow. I shook my head and idly wondered if they knew that Jacob was my godbrother and not some stranger.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though the answer was right in front of him.

"Jacob, my godbrother, was just telling me some local stories," I volunteered. I smiled at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back.

"Well," Mike paused, carefully reassessing the situation, "We're packing up - it looks like it's going to rain soon."

We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like it would rain soon.

"Okay. Let's go then," I nodded as we walked away from our previous location.

"It was nice to see you again," Jacob said slinging an arm around my shoulder.

I shoved his heavy arm off and rolled my eyes at him, "It really was. See you soon?"

His grin stretched across his face, "Definitely."

"And thanks," I added earnestly. Jacob mussed up my pony tail and I rolled my eyes at his childish behavior. I pulled up my hood as we tramped across the rocks toward the parking lot. A few drops started to fall, making black spots on the stones where they landed. When we got to the cars the others were already loading everything back in. I crawled into the backseat to sit by Angela again. We stared out the window at the escalating storm, and I tried very hard to _not_ think as I closed my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**7\. Fear**

I told my dad that I had a lot of homework to do after dinner; I made Alfredo pasta with grilled chicken. There was a basketball game going on that he was excited about, so he didn't mind that I was opting out of our usual Netflix movie night for once.

Once in my room, I flopped onto my bed and pulled my laptop out of my backpack. I took out my textbook and finished up the essay I had been working on earlier. Soon enough, with a little help from some coffee, I finished up the rest of my homework. I cuddled up into my blankets and searched the web for any and facts about vampires.

I found a promising site - Vampires A-Z. I waited impatiently for it to load, and found a simple white background with black text. Two quotes greeted me on the home page:

 _Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both._ \- Rev. Montague Summers

 _If there is in this world a well-attested account, it is that of the vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well-known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that, who is there who believes in vampires?_ \- Rousseau

The rest of the site was an alphabetized listing of all the different myths about vampires throughout the world. The first one I clicked on, the Danag, was a Filipino vampire that was supposedly responsible for planting taro on the islands long ago. The myth continued that the Danag worked with humans for many years, but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut her finger and a Danag sucked her wound, enjoying the taste so much that it drained her body completely of blood.

I quickly read through all the other descriptions. It seemed that most vampire myths centered around beautiful women as demons and children as victims. They also seemed like constructs created to explain away the high mortality rates for young children, and to give men an excuse for infidelity. Many of the stories involved bodiless spirits and warnings against improper burials. There wasn't much that sounded like the movies or TV shows I had seen, and only a very few, like the Hebrew Estrie and the Polish Upier, who were even preoccupied with drinking blood.

I searched up ways to protect yourself against vampires and found that most of them were the same cliches that were found in movies. Expose them to sunlight, blessed items, holy water, garlic, putting them on fire, cutting of their heads, never inviting them inside, and etc.

I carefully dug out the holy water that my mother had packed with me and sprinkled some on my windowsill and the window itself. I then sprinkled some on myself, just in case. I texted my mom about the possible dangers that lay ahead of me, but she never replied. She didn't even pick up when I _called_ her either. I was still pretty freaked out and and decided that I needed something else to distract me. I opened up Netflix on my iPad and tried my best to concentrate on Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. My eyes felt heavy and soon enough I drifted off to sleep without the aid of my T3s for once.

I opened my eyes to a familiar place. I was aware in some corner of my consciousness that I was dreaming. I recognized the green light of the forest. I could even hear the waves crashing against the rocks somewhere nearby. I knew that if I found the ocean, I'd be able to see the sun shine against the beach. I was trying to follow the sounds of the undulating waves, but suddenly Jacob was there, tugging on my hand, pulling me back toward the blackest part of the forest.

"Jacob? What's wrong?" I hurriedly asked. His face was frightened as he yanked with all his strength against my resistance; I didn't want to go into the dark.

"Run, Elizabeth, you have to run!" he whispered, terrified. I knew that he meant it when he said my full name instead of my nickname.

"This way, Eliza!" I recognized Jessica's voice calling out of the gloomy heart of the trees, but I couldn't see her.

Suddenly, Jacob let go of my hand and yelped, shaking, and falling down onto the dim forest floor. He convulsed on the ground as I watched on frozen in horror.

"Jacob!" I screamed moving towards him. He was gone before I could touch him, and in his place was a large red-brown wolf with black eyes. The wolf faced away from me, pointing toward the shore, the hair on the back of his shoulders bristling, low growls emanated from between his snarling mouth and exposed canines.

"Elizabeth, run!" Jessica cried out again from behind me. I stood frozen watching a light coming toward me from the beach. Edward stepped out from the trees, his skin faintly sizzling, his eyes black and dangerous. He held up one hand and beckoned me to come to him. The giant wolf growled at my feet.

I took a step back and Edward smiled then, his teeth sharp and pointed. They looked too monstrous to be real.

"Come to me," he purred moving ever closer. His mouth slowly warped until it looked almost exactly like a Wendigo's gaping maw.

I took another step back and rapidly shook my head. Shit. My pendant burned against my chest. My heart felt like it was about to be ripped out my rib cadge, but I couldn't run for some reason. I dimly realized that I was too scared to run.

The wolf launched himself across the space between me and the vampire, fangs aiming for the jugular. I saw Edward's sinister grin as he down brought his clawed hands as though to crush my godbrother to death.

"No!" I screamed, wrenching upright out of my bed.

My sudden movement caused the holy water to clattered onto my wooden floor. I glanced at my closed window and my iPad that was still playing the movie I had been watching. I turned it off and anxiously looked around my room. It was five-thirty in the morning. I sighed and put my bottle of holy water back onto my side table.

I groaned, fell back, and rolled over onto my belly burying my face into my pillows. It was far too early to be up. I heard my dad bustling around in the kitchen. I hoped that he was making eggs, bacon, and pancakes again. I could feel the braid in my hair. It felt like an uncomfortable ridge along the back of my skull. I turned onto my side and ripped the rubber band out, quickly combing through the plait with my fingers. I pulled a pillow over my head. It was all no use, of course. My subconscious had dredged up exactly the images I'd been trying to avoid. I was going to have to face them now.

I sat up, and my head spun for a minute as the blood flowed downward. I sighed and trudged towards the bathroom for my morning ritual.

My shower was just the thing that I needed to perk me out of my funk. I even felt better enough to take the time to blow-dry my hair. I happily brushed my teeth and flossed. Wrapped in a towel, I crossed back to my room. I could tell that my dad was about finished making breakfast because he had started whistling. I smiled to myself and started getting ready for the day. He said he wanted to go fishing with uncle Billy today, alone for once. I think he missed his alone time with my godfather.

I slowly pulled on dark jeans and a thick sweater then made my bed before I went downstairs for some breakfast. I heard the shower going as I went down to get some food. I sat at the table and took my portion of bacon, eggs, and pancakes and happily gobbled it all down with my usual orange juice. Soon after I finished eating my dad came down, dressed in his fishing gear.

"Thanks for the breakfast," I happily stated.

My dad rolled his eyes and grabbed a piece of bacon for himself, "You know it's because I love you kiddo."

"Are you sure I can't come along? I wouldn't have to come on your fishing trip. I could just hang out with the other kids at the reservation while you two go fishing," I chirped.

"Sure. You can go bug your godbrother to get better grades," he cheekily stated. He looked down at his watch and sighed, "If you're coming along, you better hurry up and get your things."

I grinned and ran up the stairs to grab my backpack. I stuffed it with the things that I thought I would need for the day. I ran back down ready in a flash, and my dad chuckled at my enthusiasm. No one else was free today and I felt that I needed to spend time with my other childhood friends too.

I had a pretty good time hanging out with Jacob, Quil, and Embry. It seemed as though our other friends were busy as well. It turned out Quil had a Wii now. He probably got it after I had left last summer since he didn't have one before. They bitched and moaned about how Sam was gathering some sort of weird group while we played Mario Kart. I didn't really know Sam all that well, so I didn't participate in their griping. Later on in the day, we fried up the fish my dad and my godfather caught. It was pretty good. I texted my mom again, but she _still_ wouldn't reply. I was getting really worried, but there was nothing I could do if she didn't want to talk to me. I just wanted to know why though.

I slept dreamlessly that night, exhausted from beginning my day so early, and sleeping so poorly the night before. I woke up, for the second time since arriving in Forks, to the bright yellow light of a sunny day. I skipped over to the window. I was stunned to see that there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and that they were just fleecy little white puffs that couldn't possibly be carrying any rain. I opened the window and sucked in the relatively dry air. It was nearly warm and hardly windy at all. I smiled against the sunlight. Today would be a good day.

My dad was finishing breakfast when I came downstairs, and he offered me a plate of waffles and sausages. I grinned and accepted the proffered plate gratefully.

I dug into my food and grinned around my fork, as he took a seat across from me. He soon sat down to eat some of his breakfast, and noted my wide smile.

He raised his brow at my chipper attitude and chuckled, "Nice day out."

"Yes," I agreed with a grin.

He smiled back, his blue eyes crinkling around the edges, as he popped a piece of his waffle into his mouth.

I ate breakfast cheerily, watching the dust moats stirring in the sunlight that streamed in the back window. My dad kissed my cheek, wished me a good day, and quickly said goodbye. I happily smiled at him, wishing for him to have a good day at work. I heard the cruiser pull away from the house while I pulled on my anorak and my sturdy leather boots before I walked over to my truck.

With a bit of elbow grease, I was able to get both windows in the truck almost completely rolled down. I was one of the first ones to school; I hadn't even checked the clock in my hurry to get outside. I parked and headed toward the seldom-used picnic benches on the south side of the cafeteria. The benches were still a little damp, but I didn't really mind.

I took out my seldom used sketchbook and looked out at the blue sky. My mind wandered as I sketched random things that I conjured up with my imagination. After a few minutes, I suddenly realized I'd drawn five pairs of scary looking dark eyes staring out of the page at me. I scrubbed them out with the eraser. That wouldn't do. I fingered my pendant and let out a thoughtful hum.

"Eliza!" I heard someone call. The voice sounded a lot like Jessica.

I looked around and realized that the school had become populated while I'd been sitting here absentmindedly. Jessica ran towards me happily waving.

"Hey, Jessica," I called, waving back with a slight smile on my face.

She came to sit by me, her mass of curly red hair shone a deep orange-red in the sunlight. Her grin stretched across her face. It felt good having friends at school for once. Friends that did _not_ want to kill me.

She glanced at me for a second before her grin widened, "I never noticed before, but your hair has red in it."

I let out a laugh, "Only in the sunlight. You're still our group's redhead, Jess."

She rolled her eyes and shrugged, "The world needs more redheads, Eliza." She smiled against the sunshine and sighed, "Great day, isn't it?"

"My kind of day," I agreed, adjusting the hem of my dress.

"What did you do yesterday?" she asked, taking a seat on the picnic table next to me.

"I went down to La Push with my dad since I finished my paper already. I spent some time with my godbrother and my childhood friends," I stated stretching out my back. I titled my head towards her and cheerfully asked, "How about you?"

She bit her lip and tilted her head back a bit, "I had to help my mom with the diner. Hey, the paper's due Thursday, right?"

I blinked repeatedly and shook my head, "Nope, Wednesday. I think."

"Wednesday? That's not good..." she frowned and sighed. Jessica stretched out her arms and shot me a curious look, " What are you writing yours on?"

"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic," my lips quirked into a slight smile.

She snorted out a laugh, "Ahh. It seems like something you would do. Mehh. I guess I'll have to get to work on that tonight."

I glanced at my watch and found that it was only a couple more minutes before the first bell rang. I poked her shoulder, "Come on. It's almost time for class." I gathered up my backpack and shoved my sketch book back inside. Jessica hopped off of the picnic table and we quickly made our way to our separate classes.

Later on when I saw Jessica in Trig, she was bubbling with enthusiasm. She, Angela, and Lauren were going to Port Angeles tonight to go dress shopping for the dance. They wanted me to come along too even though I didn't need one. I was indecisive. It would be nice to get out of town with some girlfriends, but at the same time...I did love having lazy days spent indoors. I made up my mind and told them that I would talk to my dad about it first. Even if I did want to go, it wouldn't matter if my dad said no.

She enthused about the dance on the way to Spanish, and all through out the class. It was actually quite impressive since she continued on our entire conversation in Spanish. I did my best to follow along, but I wasn't exactly the best at Spanish. She continued talking about it once class was over, but thankfully switched to English. As we crossed the threshold of the cafeteria, I felt the first true tingle of fear slither down my spine and settle in my stomach. Would they be able to know that I knew? Could vampires do that? I glanced towards the coven table. A shiver of panic trembled in my stomach as I realized it was empty. Where they hiding? Hope trembled in my chest as my eyes scoured the rest of the cafeteria, hoping that they truly weren't there. The place was nearly filled - Spanish had made us late - but there was no sign of Edward or any of his family. Relief rolled down on me in waves.

I cheerily walked along behind Jessica to go get some food. I ended up picking out some burgers and fries with a tall bottle of lemon aide. We were late enough that everyone was already at our table. I plopped down by Angela while Mike held a chair out politely for Jessica. Her face lit up in response and I inwardly squealed. They were so cute. Angela asked a few quiet questions about the Macbeth paper, which I easily answered as I ate my food.

When I entered Biology with Mike and Angela, I felt my heart squeeze painfully. Was he going to be waiting to get me here in Bio? I saw his empty seat, and felt a new wave of relief.

The rest of the day passed by at a slow nice pace. In Gym, we had a lecture on the rules of badminton, instead of actually do anything, so that was kind of a downer. He didn't even finish the lecture so I had that to look 'forward' to tomorrow.

The drive home was pretty normal. Right after I walked into the door of my house, Jessica called to cancel our plans. Apparently, Mike had asked her out to dinner, which I found was pretty sweet. She rescheduled our shopping trip for tomorrow night.

Which left me with little to do since my dad had offered to get some take out for us for dinner tonight. I spent a focused two hours on homework. After that I texted my mom again:

"Why aren't you answering my texts, Skype messages, or calls? Are you and Phil okay? What's going on?"

Just as I expected, my phone stayed silent. I groaned and flopped onto my bed. I fingered my pendant and worried for a while before deciding to pat myself down with holy water again. Just in case. I did the exact same thing with my window and door pane.

I spent another little while reading books on my iPad, but that didn't take up a lot of my time either. I decided to kill a couple more hours with some gardening. I gathered my gardening tools and headed out to the backyard. There I finally found my dad's second surprise. I let out a delighted laugh and ran over to the flowerbeds that he had apparently planted. I grinned and noticed that there were a couple plants that he hadn't yet gotten to. I felt warm and fuzzy inside. My dad hated gardening, but I had said that I would really want one when I switched over to live with him. I rubbed away the water that collected in my eyes and sighed. My dad was great.

I pulled over the plants that still needed to be transplanted and got to work. It took a while, but I finished up and stared at the flowering and growing plants that now decorated my dad's backyard. I happily sighed and laid down on my stomach, crossing my ankles in the air as I just stared at the plants. It felt good to be surrounded by nature. I rolled over onto my back with my eyes closed as I pushed my sleeves up as high as they would go. I felt the sunshine warm my limbs as a light breeze blew tendrils of my hair around my face. I had my hair down, for once. It fanned out on the grass below me, and tickled my neck. I squinted against the sun and found that the heat that touched my eyelids, made me sleepy. I decided that a little nap wouldn't hurt and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun lull me to sleep.

I was jostled awake by the familiar engine of my dad's cruiser. I sat up surprised that the light was gone. I looked around, muddled, with the sudden feeling that I wasn't alone.

"Dad?" I called out looking around. Feeling the tingle of fear run down my spine, I hurried back into the house not daring to look back. My dad came into the house, looking pretty tired. I decided to forgo jumping on him today, and settled on giving him a tight hug. He shot me a worried look as he hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots.

"Welcome home, dad," I muttered into his chest. My dad patted my back and gently said, "Thanks, sweetie."

He pulled me off of him and sighed at my sleepy expression. He handed me a big brown bag with a grin, "I brought home diner food."

My dad could sense my unease so we ended up eating in the living room like we used to when I as little. We watched funny sitcoms on TV as we ate our deep fried chicken, french fires, and cole slaw in relative silence. We animatedly talked about how our days went once desert rolled on through. I finally felt relaxed enough by then. It also helped that I loved the chocolate pies that Jessica's mom made.

"Dad?" I asked during one of the commercials. I chewed and swallowed my last piece of pie.

My dad ate his pie at a sedentary pace and nodded, "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Jessica, Angela, and Lauren are going to look at dresses for the dance tomorrow night in Port Angeles, and they wanted me to come along. What do you think?" I happily slumped into my seat and rubbed my expanded belly. I was so full. I should not have eaten that second slice of chocolate pie.

"Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber, and Lauren Mallory?" he tilted his head and asked.

He gave me a confused look, "But you're not going to the dance, right?"

"Nope. I'm still doing that errand you wanted me to do that day, dad. With Edward, stupid face, Cullen," I stated. I still didn't understand why my dad wanted me to do that. It all seemed off to me.

"Thank you, honey. Make sure to be back home for dinner though, okay? I'm going to be making chicken burgers for dinner tomorrow, " he stated finishing off his chocolate pie.

"Okay. We'll leave right after school, so we can get back early," I leaned against my dad's shoulder as we continued watching our sitcom.

"That's my girl," he stated smiling warmly at me.

I had a relatively good nights rest with the aid of another T3. My nightmares had died down ever since I had religiously started patting myself down with holy water. They still popped in towards the end, but I wasn't as scared any more.

It was sunny again in the morning. I dressed for the warmer weather in a cheery yellow V-neck t-shirt and sturdy jeans. It seemed like the appropriate thing to wear today.

My day was just as good as yesterday, and I couldn't keep a smile off of my face. I may have looked hysterically happy when I found that the coven table was still empty today. The cheery that topped it all was when I noticed that I had my Biology table all to myself again. My pendent didn't heat up all day, and the only thing that could make this better would be if my mom finally texted me back.

The Port Angeles scheme was back on again for tonight, although Lauren did have to back out because of familial obligations. I toyed with the thought that I could also do a little clothes shopping as well.

After school, Jessica followed me home in her Jeep so I could ditch my books and truck. I brushed my hair up into a bun when I was inside. I plopped my books and backpack by the door, but tucked my pepper spray, phone, wallet, keys, and holy water into my anorak pocket. I texted my dad where I was going and what time I was expecting to come home. He quickly replied with a 'take care' and a smiley face. I shot my mom a text too, but I wasn't hopeful that she would answer. Her texts were far and few in between lately, and I had the horrible feeling that it had to do with something in Forks. We went to Angela's house next, and she was waiting for us. My excitement increased as we actually drove out of the town limits. We'd be fine. Tonight, would be great. I hoped.


	8. Chapter 8

**8\. Close calls**

Jessica drove faster than the legal maximum speed limit, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. It had been a while since I'd had a girls' night out, and it felt _great_. We listened to head bopping songs that we sang along to. Jessica informed us about how her date went with Mike during the trip up. It had apparently gone pretty well, and she was hoping that by Saturday night they would have progressed to the first-kiss stage. _**And**_ we found out that Ben got the nerve to ask out Angela. Apparently there was some sort of scuffle with Eric when that happened, but it all turned out okay. Lauren had gotten Tyler as boyfriend. The only person that didn't have any 'boy news' was me. I personally thought that was a good thing considering that I didn't want anyone up school. I smiled to myself, pleased.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little town that screamed tourism. It was much more polished and quaint than Forks. I definitely had to get my dad, my godfather, and godbrother up to see this place. I hadn't ever had a reason to come up here, but Jessica, Angela, and Lauren knew it well, so they didn't let me wander around the picturesque boardwalk for more than a couple minutes. After our potty break, Jessica drove us straight to the _big_ department store in town.

The dance was tagged as semi-formal, and none of us really knew what that meant. Both Jessica and Angela seemed surprised and almost disbelieving when I told them I'd never been to any dance in Phoenix. Lauren was less surprised and said that I seemed to prefer the company of women. I blew a raspberry at her when she walked ahead of all of us. Rude.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Jessica asked patting my shoulder as we walked through the front doors of the store.

"Nope. I've never had one of those either," I simply stated. I shrugged and continued on, "No one from school has ever asked me before. Besides, I have other things I wanna do before I really invest my time into a relationship, anyways." He didn't go to my school anyways, so I figured, why bother? Relationships could always happen later. Both of us had plenty of time.

"Like what?" Angela asked, looping her arm around mine as we walked through the store.

"Like school work, deciding whether or not to be a cop, spending more time with my family and friends," I answered honestly. Visiting my friends down in La Push.

"People ask you out here," Jessica reminded me, "and you tell them no."

I nodded, "Yeah, that's because I'm really not interested." Jessica smiled and stuck her tongue out at me while she continued to browse through the rack.

The dress selection wasn't large, but they found a few things to try on. I sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room hallway, by the three-way mirror, rubbing my face against the softest Peter Pan collared t-shirt. I was definitely buying this and taking it home.

Jessica was torn between two dresses. One was a long, strapless, basic black number, and the other was a knee-length electric blue dress with spaghetti straps. I encouraged her to go with the blue one to play up her blue eyes. Angela chose a pale pink dress that draped around her tall frame nicely and brought out honey tints in her light brown hair. I complimented them both generously and helped by returning the rejects to their racks.

Lauren was off in another section of the change rooms and she showed off the sparkly black cocktail dress that she found. She paired it with sky high black stilettos. It was certainly far sexier than what I felt was appropriate, but I figured that it wasn't my place to judge. We complimented her choices and headed over to shoes and accessories.

While they tried things on different accessories, I wandered around and found a really neat looking bracelet made out of small gold coins a couple display cases over. They looked almost exactly like my gold pendant. I snatched it up and held it close to my chest along with the super soft shirt I found. I also impulsively got boots that reminded me of the ones that Katniss wore in the Hunger Games.

"Angela?" I began, hesitant, while she was trying on a pair of chunky pink heels. Jessica had drifted to the other jewelry counter once I had shown her the bracelet I had found.

"Yes?" She held her leg out, twisting her ankle to get a better view of the shoe.

I smiled and took in the shoes that she was wearing, "Those are really cute."

Angela smiled and nodded, "I think I'll get them - though they'll never match anything but the one dress." She let out a laugh and slipped them off.

"Mmm. I don't know. I think they could go with a lot of things if you mix and match. Besides, they're on sale, right?" I encouraged. She smiled and nodded, putting the pink chunky heels by her dress.

I fingered the gold coins on the bracelet and an odd question bubbled out of me, "Is it normal for the...Cullens to be out of school a lot?" I wanted to know how long we were all going to be safe.

Angela gave me a curious look and smiled warmly, "Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time - even the doctor. They're all real outdoorsy." Hmm...so killing them with sunlight was out.

"Ahh," I let the subject drop as Jessica returned to show us the rhinestone jewelry she'd found to match her silver shoes. I wondered if holy water still worked if you ingested the stuff.

We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as we'd expected. We took our purchases back to the car. I slipped on the golden bracelet I had found, and it strangely fit like a glove. I managed to cajole my friends into letting me change into my super soft shirt before we walked down to the bay. We chatted happily about how nice the day was, and I found a little ice cream hut on the board walk. We took a lot of pictures, pretty sweet selfies, and had a lot of fun as the sun started setting down the horizon. We ended up eating a huge pizza at the Italian restaurant the girls raved about. I felt so full I could burst. It seemed like a pretty good end of the day.

I heard the door open and turned to see Edward stepping into the restaurant. I noticed that the sun had fully set, and my heart fell to my stomach. We weren't safe anymore...

I waved frantically at the waitress to give us our check.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked, her mouth quirking into a small smile.

"We have to get out of here," I whispered as I tried my best to hide in our booth.

Angela shook her head at my behavior, "Don't worry so much, Eliza. Everything's fine." What they didn't know, was that it wasn't. It wasn't fine at all.

"Would it be all right if I joined you, ladies?" he asked in a strangely irresistible voice. I could see from their staggered expressions that he had never unleashed his talents on them before. I was doomed. We were all going to be vampire chow at this rate.

"Er... sure," Jessica breathed, her eyes dilating like crazy.

"Mhmm..." Lauren nodded, her eyes glued onto Edwards.

"Um, actually, we already ate - sorry," Angela confessed, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"That's fine - I'm not all that hungry," Edward stated with a blindingly white smile that seemed to wide for his face.

I was too scared to say anything at this point in time. He glanced at me before turning his gaze back at my friends, "Do you mind if I drive Eliza home tonight?"

"Uh, no problem, I guess..." Jessica bit her lip, trying to figure out from my expression whether that was what I wanted. I shook my head and pleaded with them wordlessly not to leave me alone with the blood sucker.

My expression didn't seem to translate well because Edward caught them in another gaze. Angela slowly nodded, "Okay. We'll see you tomorrow, Eliza..."

Lauren slowly wobbled her head in agreement, "Have fun, Eliza." Fun? I just wanted to _live._

Jessica nodded, still in her weird daze and added, "I'll drop your shoes off at your house, okay?"

I stared at them in muted horror as they walked out of the restaurant like zombies. I stared at their empty seats for along while, not really caring that Edward had slipped into their places so easily.

"You really shouldn't do that to people," I criticized, shoving my hands into my pockets. I felt my bracelet and pendant heat up, which seemed to help my mind stay clear of what the hell was happening. I fingered my phone, the pepper spray, my wallet, and the holy water that were still in my pockets.

"Do what?" he asked, showing teeth that looked oddly sharper in this light.

"Hypnotize them like that. It's not fair to impose your will on people," I snapped. I gripped the bottle of holy water and toyed with the idea of spraying it into his face and running. Why the waitress wasn't here to give us the check when my friends left, was beyond me.

He seemed confused.

"Oh, come on," I said dubiously. "You have to know the effect you have on people."

He tilted his head to one side; his eyes were curious, "I hypnotize people?"

"Do you seriously think everybody gets their way so easily without some trick being involved?" I waspishly asked. I was very glad we had an entire table between us. It still didn't seem like enough distance though.

He ignored my question and smiled hungrily, "Do I hypnotize you?"

My eyes narrowed and I carefully stated, "You seem to hypnotize anyone you want if you need them for some reason."

Our server finally arrived, her face expectant. She warmly smiled at us and slid the tab over to me. I was bummed that I had to pay for four meals, but at least I could get out of here. My hopes were dashed when Edward caught her in his gaze.

Her eyes dilated to the point where it looked like she had taken some bad sort of acid. She slurred, "Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?"

I didn't miss that she was speaking only to him. This poor girl. I sighed and slumped into my seat. I don't think I could get out of this. Even if I did spray him with holy water...I didn't have the means to get home. At least, not without some probable crazed vampire wanting to kill me.

He gazed at Amber with a smile that looked too predatory to be nice, "I'll have a Coke."

"I'll be right back with that," she assured him, the strange zombified expression still stuck on her face.

His eyes fixated on my face, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, inwardly praying for a miracle.

His face twisted up into that perfect crooked smile, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes were still dark and I felt a tendril of fear twist in my stomach. Was this the end?

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with his drink and a basket of bread sticks. She stood with her back to me as she placed them on the table. I was glad that she was my human meat shield, but at the same time...I didn't really want her to die either.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked Edward.

"We're alright, thanks," he said. Of course he didn't want anything. Not unless she was offering her blood. How did I find myself in this situation?

"Let me know if you change your mind," she said listlessly. I hoped that whatever he did to her would wear off eventually.

He played with the straw in his coke can and passed it over towards me, "Drink?"

I shook my head, "No thank you."

He chuckled and took back the soda, "Ever the polite one, Eliza."

"Thanks," I muttered, squirming at the tense atmosphere. How the fuck did he even know I was here?

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin," he said, watching me. I was surprised, and shook my head at the way this conversation was going. I quickly zipped up my anorak hiding my newest purchase.

He pushed the bread basket toward me. I shook my head. I didn't want anything that he offered. Vampires had a thing about quid pro quo. I wasn't willing to pay with my life for whatever he offered me.

He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how dark his eyes were, a dark murky color that I couldn't name.

His brow furrowed as shook his head, frowning. He murmured, "This is more complicated than I'd planned."

I picked up a bread stick and began nibbling on the end, measuring his expression. I didn't really know what else to do at this point.

His eyes narrowed, "Do you have more theories, Eliza?"

I immediately stopped chewing on my bread stick. I hated wasting food, but at this point...even bread couldn't soothe my churning stomach. I stiffly nodded.

"I hope you were more creative this time..." his faint smile was mocking; his eyes were still tight.

The waitress strode around the partition and turned quickly to Edward. The hostile expression that had been on her face melted when Edward turned his gaze on her again.

Poor Amber was dazed again, quietly asked, "Did you change your mind? Isn't there anything I can get you?"

"No, no thank you," he grinned toothily.

"Sure," she nodded and sedately walked away.

"You were saying?" he asked. I saw the hungry way he looked at the other patrons now and again. I didn't want these poor people to die. They probably all had families too. I swallowed back my despair. I didn't want to die, but I didn't want to be the cause of all these other people dying too...

"I'll tell you about it in the car. If..." I paused. How could I turn this to my favor? The holy water could only do so much. How could I take his attention away from the other, probably tasty to him, people?

"There are conditions?" He raised one eyebrow, his voice ominous.

"I do have a few questions, of course." That would do it. Right?

"Of course." He seemed to take the bait.

"Well, go ahead," he pushed, his voice still hard.

I stared hard at him, "Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his large hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flickered up at me from under his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face.

"Next." The little fucker. It was probably something sinister and scary. Like hunting me via scent or something...or mind reading.

"Okay, then..." I glared at him, and continued slowly, "Can you read minds?"

He raised his brow, "Yes." So a vampire that could read minds? Well...we were all fucked then.

"So you can. That seems unfortunate," I muttered. I felt my pendant and bracelet steadily keep their hot temperature. It didn't burn, but it did keep me alert. I figured that they would both heat up if danger was around. Or maybe they only did that when vampires were around?

I shook my head as my curiosity grew about the machinations of what mind reading entailed. He was probably a villain, but he was also a villain with a cool super power, "So how does that work? What are the limitations? How would that someone find someone else exactly where they are?"

His voice was almost a whisper, "I was wrong - you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."

I raised a brow at him and sneered, "I thought you were always right." He made that opinion that he had about himself, pretty clear every time we talked.

"I used to be," he shook his head. He let out a gruff sigh and looked down, "I followed you to Port Angeles."

I felt a spasm of fear at his words. He was a stalker now? Oh God. I was going to die. The abrupt memory of his violent black glare that first day flashed through my mind. I held my breath, doing my best to stop myself from hyperventilating. I exhaled and focused on calming my racing heart. By the time he looked up to read my eyes, there was no trace of fear in them.

He pressed his lips together, staring at me through narrowed eyes, deciding something again. He searched my eyes for something and earnestly said, "It's harder than it should be to keep track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before. I can't hear anyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar someone's... 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. No more than a few miles."

"Mind reading is little like being in a huge hall filled with people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum - a buzzing of voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice, and then what they're thinking is clear, but most of the time I tune it all out. It's easier to seem normal when I'm not accidentally answering someone's thoughts rather than their words."

He looked at me anxiously, and I realized I had frozen. I made myself swallow, and breath normally. Could vampires smell fear? My fingers twitched around my bottle full of holy water.

Before I could decide to spray his face with it, to hopefully burn him, he continued on with his creepy explanation of how he managed to stalk me and how his power worked, "I was keeping tabs on what went on in Jessica's, Angela's, and Lauren's minds. You looked like you really had fun with the three of them. You shouldn't eat so much sugar though. I read in your hospital file, that you have a risk for type two diabetes in your family."

"What?" I whispered, in utter horror. He just went into people's minds with no regard for them at all _and_ he looked at my **private** hospital flies? He looked through my hospital files? I shook my head. There was something deeply wrong with him. Even more wrong than him being a vampire, and that was saying something.

"I heard what they were thinking," he smiled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. It was a scary ass smile.

"I saw your face in their minds," he suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, his hand covering his eyes. The movement was so swift it startled me.

"It was very...hard - you can't imagine how hard - for me _not_ to simply take you away," his voice was muffled by his arm.

I sat quietly, dazed, my thoughts incoherent. My hands were still stuffed in my pockets, and I was leaning weakly against the back of the seat. He still had his face in his hand. He was as still as if he'd been carved from the stone.

After a pregnant pause, he looked up, his eyes boring into mine, "Are you ready to go home?"

"I'm ready to leave," I weakly stated, even though we had an hour-long ride home together ahead of us. My bracelet and pendant burned against my skin. I didn't really need them to tell me I was in danger. Even an idiot would know that this was a pretty bad situation.

The waitress appeared as if she'd been called. Probably some mind trick Edward employed on the poor girl.

"How are we doing?" she asked Edward. Her eyes still had that dazed quality to them.

"We're ready for the check, thank you," his voice was quiet, rougher, still reflecting the strain of our conversation.

"Sure," she muttered. "Here you go," she pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to him. I caught a glance at it and found that was still the same check that Jessica, Angela, Lauren, and me were supposed to pay.

There was a couple bills in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to her.

"Keep the change," he smiled. He stood up, and I warily got onto my feet. Well, at least I didn't have to pay for four meals. That was my only consolation in this, I guess.

He walked close beside me to the door, careful not to touch me. I thanked God that he was keeping his distance. I looked at the sidewalk, mourning my short life.

He opened the passenger door, holding it for me as I stepped in, shutting it softly behind me. I warily watched him walk around the front of the car, he walked as though he were a loping tiger. Even how he moved was unsettling. I probably should have been used to that by now, but I wasn't. I had a feeling Edward wasn't the kind of person anyone got used to.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold while we were in the restaurant. I was pretty warm in my anorak though.

Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.

"Now," he said simply, "it's your turn."


	9. Chapter 9

**9\. Revelations**

Edward accelerated much too quickly down the quiet street. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to the road. His lips pressed together into a cautious line as he took his time before asking me whatever he wanted to know.

I shot a panicky glance out the window, but it was too dark to see much. The road was only visible in the long patch of bluish brightness from the headlights. The forest along both sides of the road was like a black wall - a hard wall of steel if we veered off the road at this speed.

"Relax, Eliza," he rolled his eyes at the sight of my increased fear.

He looked at me and his eyes were unexpectedly gentle, "What's your theory on what I am? Go ahead and answer when you're ready."

I warily looked at him and let out a tired sigh, "My theory was confirmed when I saw my godbrother."

"You have a godbrother?" he asked, throwing me a crocked smile.

"I do. Why, is that bad?" I quirked my brow at him.

He shook his head and let out a laugh that sounded far to contrived, "And?"

"His dad, my godfather, is one of the Quileute elders," I watched him carefully.

His smile fell, a confused expression froze in its place. I continued on and kept my voice steady, "We went for a walk and talked, as we usually do, then he told me some of the old legends we used to hear as little kids. He told me one about vampires."

I didn't dare look at his face now, but I saw his knuckles tighten convulsively on the wheel. I contemplated burning him with my bracelet and the holy water, but that might just cause my death via car crash.

"And you immediately thought of me?" Still calm.

"Yes," I stated stoically. I inwardly thought of my mom and dad. If I was going to die, I wanted their faces to be the last ones that I remembered.

He startled me by laughing. I glared up at him. He was laughing, but his eyes were fierce, staring ahead.

"And what convinced you?" His voice sounded barely interested, but his hands were clamped hard onto the steering wheel.

"A lot of things. You guys not eating, your eyes changing color, but the biggest clues came to me when you started acting weird," I glanced out of the window at the eerily dark forests that we passed. Were there more of them out there?

He stared at me with watchful eyes, much as he had before in the restaurant, "Correct. Any questions?"

I raised my brow at how calm he was and shrugged. It would be good to know what I could use against them, "Will you turn into ash if you go out into the sun?"

He let out a wry laugh, "Not ash. We do end up sizzling like hot dogs on an open fire though. I guess if you trapped one of us in a sunlit room, we'd be turned into ash...it would take a long time though."

"Holy water?"

"Does the same thing as sunlight in small doses. Just burns and not death."

"Fangs?"

"Retractable."

"If I chop off your head and burn you, will you die?"

Edward shot me a bewildered look before letting out a laugh, "Yeah. That would kill most creatures. Anything blessed can kill us now that I think about it..."

"No reflection and bat transformations?"

"Yes, and no. That one's a myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth," he carelessly stated. He hesitated for a moment, and a peculiar tone entered his voice, "I can't sleep."

That new fact took me a moment to absorb, "At all?" That must royally suck. I couldn't even imagine not ever sleeping again. Having to stay awake, forever. Jeeze.

"Never," he said, his voice nearly inaudible. He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. I supposed even villains had problems.

"You haven't asked me the most important question yet," his voice was hard now, and when he looked at me again his eyes were cold.

I blinked repeatedly before raising my brow, "Which one is that?" Any other questions I might have had, had pretty obvious answers at this point.

"You aren't concerned about my diet?" he asked sarcastically.

I raised my brow, "You drink blood. Vampires do that, although my godbrother did say something odd about that."

"What did Jacob say?" he asked flatly. I inwardly flinched. How did he know my godbrother's name? I didn't recall ever telling him that...

"He said that your family wasn't supposed to be dangerous because you didn't need to hunt people to get blood, but the Quileutes still didn't want you on their land, just in case," I smiled at that though. I wondered how hard it would be to actually move everyone over to their side of the treaty line.

He looked forward, and whispered, "The Quileutes have a long memory." He cleared his throat and tightened his grip on the steering wheel again, "They're right to keep their distance from us. We **are** dangerous."

We were both silent then. I watched the headlights twist with the curves of the road. They moved too fast; it didn't look real, it looked like a video game. I was aware of the time slipping away so quickly, like the black road beneath us. I was hideously afraid that his words hinted at an end, my end, and I recoiled from the idea. I- I didn't want to die yet. I really didn't.

"I don't want to be a monster," he murmured, his voice low.

I stared out at the road not knowing what to say to that. We must be close to Forks now though since he was driving much so fast.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his voice raw. I just shook my head, not sure what to say. I could feel his gaze on my face, but I kept my eyes forward. This was awkward. I was still afraid of him, but at the same time...I felt a deep pity for him. I supposed that not everyone chose to be a monster. How do you make do when the cards that you're dealt...meant that you were a monster?

"Tell me something," he asked after another minute, and I could hear him struggle to use a lighter tone.

"Like what?" I sighed into my seat, relaxing for the first time even though my pendant and bracelet still felt like they were burning my skin. I didn't feel safe, but I doubted I could do much about that right now.

He shrugged, "Anything."

We were slowing, passing into the boundaries of Forks. It had taken less than twenty minutes.

"You're not totally horrible, I guess. I guess you can't help being what you are," I muttered. It didn't mean I liked him any more than I did at the beginning. He was still really creepy and controlling. This was just another strange new facet that he had.

"Yes, exactly," he smiled gratefully at me, "I'll save you a seat at lunch?"

I raised a brow at him, "Half the lunch at most. I don't want to ditch my friends."

He nodded, his smile dimming somewhat.

We were finally in front of my house. The lights were on, my truck was exactly where I left it, and everything seemed utterly normal. It was like waking from one of the strangest dreams ever. He stopped the car, and placed my hand on the door handle to get out.

"Elizabeth?" he asked serious, but hesitant tone.

"Yes?" I turned back to him, letting out a long suffering sigh.

"Will you promise me something?" A promise to a vampire? I shook my head at the absurdity of it all.

I shrugged. Fuck it. This day could not get any weirder. I warily glanced at him and nodded, "Sure."

"Don't go into the woods alone."

I stared at him in blank confusion, "Wasn't that already a given?"

He frowned, and his eyes were tight as he stared past me out the window. He shook his head and ominously stated, "True, but it's a good warning. I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there."

I shuddered slightly at that thought, "Duly noted."

I stepped out of the car stiffly and stretched out my limbs. I strode up to my door and found the boots that I bought today. At least that worked out today. I shook my head and held them to my chest. I bet Katniss didn't have to deal with this shit, although...her situation was worse.

He didn't leave until I was at my front door. I turned to watch the silver car disappear around the corner. My pendant and bracelet felt cool to touch. I snorted. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? I unlocked my front door, and stepped inside. I shivered in pleasure as the heat from the house warmed my bones.

My dad called out from the living room, "Eliza?"

"Yeah, dad, it's me," I walked in to see him after I placed the boots down by my bag.

He strode towards me and kissed me on the cheek, "Hi, sweetheart. You're home early."

"Am I?" I asked. I looked over at a nearby wall and found the wall clock that neatly hung above our TV. It wasn't even eight pm yet.

"Yup. Welcome home, kiddo. Did you girls have fun," he asked as we took a seat on the couch. I smelt the chicken burgers that my dad was baking in the oven. I didn't have much of an appetite after what I just went through.

"Yeah - it was lots of fun. I got a cool new bracelet, a super soft shirt, and boots that looked like they belonged in the Hunger Games. We got to eat ice cream, walk along the board walk, and take so many pictures. Besides that, my friends found some pretty cool dresses," I leaned my head against my dad's shoulder and let out a sigh. It was good before it got ruined by Edward.

"Are you all right?" he looked over at me, worry seeped into his voice.

"I'm sorry, dad. The girls fed me a lot a food and now I'm just tired," I was still pretty full from my meal with the girls.

My dad rolled his eyes at my typical behavior. I did this a lot every summer I was here. I couldn't help it when it was one of my favorite foods though. He patted my shoulder, "Well, maybe you should go lie down."

"I'm gonna do that. Night, dad. I love you," I pecked his head as I walked towards the stairs up to my room. My dad laughed and called out, "I love you too, sweetheart."

I made a mental note to text and or call my mom about my new findings. I needed more information about the Cullens, and probably Hales, being vampires. I didn't know quite where to get it, but I figured that I would eventually find it...whether I wanted to or not.

I plopped onto my bed, exhausted. I slipped off my shoes, and let my anorak fall onto the floor. My phone rang suddenly, startling me. Was that my mom? Did she finally get all my messages and decide to call? I yanked my phone out of my anorak's pocket.

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

"Eliza?" Jessica's familiar voice rang out on the other end of the line.

"Jessica?" I had really hoped it was my mom on the line. It was nice to know that Jessica, and presumably Angela and Lauren, made it home okay. I guess the whole vampire hypnotizing thing, didn't last much too long. That was good to know.

"You made it home okay?" her voice sounded relieved.

"Yeah. Surprisingly."

"Tell me about it tomorrow okay? I have to babysit my little sister, but I was super worried about you. I don't even know why I let that creep Edward take you away from us," she stated huffily.

I let out a laugh, "Deal. He was a creep, but also not. It's hard to explain." I couldn't really blame her, or them, for being hypnotized. Hell, I sometimes fell into that trap of a gaze too.

"That's okay. We can talk about it tomorrow. Night Eliza!" I could hear a smile in her voice. It was nice to know that I wasn't going crazy. Other people sensed the danger that hung around the Cullens and Hales too.

"Bye, Jess."

I quickly shot my mom a text about what had transpired before I got ready for bed. It wasn't until I was in the shower - the water too hot, burning my skin - that I realized I was freezing. I shuddered violently for several minutes before the steaming spray could finally relax my rigid muscles. I really could've died tonight. I would have never been able to see my parents, my other family members, and friends ever again. I quietly sobbed in relief. I was so happy to be home.

I stumbled out, wrapping myself securely in a towel, trying to hold the heat from the water in so the aching shivers wouldn't return. I dressed for bed swiftly and climbed under my duvet, curling into a ball, hugging myself to keep warm. A few small shudders still trembled through me. I patted myself down with as much holy water as I thought was necessary.

My mind swirled dizzily, full of images I couldn't understand, and some I fought to repress. Nothing seemed clear at first, but as I fell gradually closer to unconsciousness, a few certainties became evident.

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward and his family were vampires. Second, everything I knew about the world was wrong. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably screwed.


	10. Chapter 10

**10\. Another strange day**

It was difficult, in the morning, to argue with the part of me that was sure last night was a nightmare. Logic wasn't on my side, or common sense. I would know by tomorrow if the end of my girls afternoon out really was ruined by Edward.

It was foggy and the light was murky through the dark clouds. I dressed in my heavy clothes today. It wasn't the best thing against the supernatural, but it was better than nothing. I made sure to put as much holy water on my skin as I could. I also ended up sipping a little of it. It tasted pretty bad, but I didn't want to take any chances.

When I got downstairs, my dad was surprisingly absent. A lone plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns sat on the table. A sticky note was stuck onto my usual mug of orange juice. I peered at the note and sighed. The case had pulled my dad in for an early shift again. I gobbled down my breakfast and happily pocketed my dad's note. I always kept the sticky notes my parents made me. It helped remind me how much they loved and cared for me even when they weren't there.

It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smoky with it. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face. Luckily the scarf, that my godfather sent me, protected my neck from the elements. I wondered if he knew that one of the vampires was trying to cozy up to me. I shook that thought away and buried my hands into my anorak pockets. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realized there was a very different car in it: a silver car. My heart thudded, stuttered, and then picked up again in double time. Fuck. No.

I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly he was there, pulling the door of his car open for me. My pendant and bracelet burned again. At this point in time, I was amazed that they didn't leave burn marks.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked, amused by my expression. There was uncertainty in his voice. As much as I pitied him, I would rather take my chances driving my truck to school.

"No, thank you," I stated calmly. I smiled at him and made my way into my truck. I revved up my thunderous engine and turned on the heat. I felt the heater blast warm air around me and I sighed happily. I checked my mirrors and found that Edward was standing next to my driver side window.

I rolled my eyes and asked, "What?" I didn't bother rolling down my window at this point. He had vampire hearing so I doubt he needed any favors like that.

He mouthed, "I'll follow you."

I quirked my brow and shrugged. If he wanted to continue being a creepy stalker, fine. He smiled at me then, and disappeared in a flash. I had a good hunch that he was back in his car. I backed out of my driveway and headed off to school, with Edward trailing behind me.

I shook my head as we got out of our cars. He met me at the front of my car, staying uncomfortably close to my side as we walked onto the campus grounds. I increased the distance between us as we walked further.

"Why do you have cars like that at all?" I wondered aloud.

"For indulgence since we all like to drive fast," he admitted with an impish smile.

"Figures," I muttered under my breath.

Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Jessica waved at me and warily glanced at Edward. I ran to her and hugged her tightly.

She whispered, "Are you okay?"

I sighed and nodded, "Yeah. For the most part."

She patted my back and smiled, "Good morning."

I shot her a grateful look, "Morning."

"Good morning, Jessica," Edward said politely.

"Edward," she shifted her wide eyes to me, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts. She shook her head and sent me a meaningful look, "I'll see you in Trig." I think this whole debacle really made her mother hen instincts work into overdrive.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," I waved weakly and did my best to smile reassuringly at her.

She walked away, pausing twice to worriedly look back over her shoulder at us.

"What are you going to tell her?" Edward murmured.

"Can't you read my mind?" I blandly asked.

"I can't," he said, startled. His eyes brightened and a cheeky smile spread on his face, "I can read hers though, _and_ I know for a _fact_ that she'll be waiting to ambush you in class. So what are you going to tell her?"

"You'll find out when she does," I frowned and rolled my eyes at him.

He shook his head, grinning wickedly, "That's not fair."

I blew air out of my nose and sighed, "Well life isn't fair now, is it?"

He deliberated for a moment as we walked before we stopped outside the door to my first class.

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me," he stated.

"Well that's good to know," I stated letting out an exhausted sigh. People passed by us on their way to class. A couple of them waved and I weakly waved back. It was getting tiring dealing with Edward.

He paused and hummed, "You could say yes to the first...if you don't mind - it's easier than any other explanation."

I rapidly shook my head at his suggestion. I muttered a terse, "Not happening, Dracula." Not in this life time or universe, bub.

He shot me a cheeky look shrugging, "Up to you. As for her other question...well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself." One side of his mouth pulled up into an uneven smile as he turned and walked away.

"I'll see you at lunch," he called over his shoulder.

I strode into class thoroughly irritated with his behavior. He was such a creepy weirdo. I sat in my usual seat, almost slamming my bag down in aggravation.

"Morning, Eliza," Mike said from the seat next to me, "How was the girls night out?"

I quirked my brow at his question, and brushed off my suspicion. Jessica probably told him about it. It's not like he could read minds too...right? I gently bit the inside of my cheek for a moment before answering, "It was..." There really was no good way to sum it up, "Great at first then pretty weird. Jessica got a really cute dress."

"Did she say anything about Monday night?" he asked, his eyes brightening. I smiled at the turn the conversation had taken.

"She said she had a really good time," I assured him.

"She did?" he questioned eagerly.

I sent him a warm smile, "Most definitely."

Mr. Mason called the class to order then, asking us to turn in our papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, and I managed to feel somewhat normal again. As far as normal went now. The fog had almost dissolved by the end of the second hour, but the day was still dark with low, oppressing clouds. I idly wondered if it would rain and save me time on watering my plants later.

Edward was right, of course. When I walked into Trig Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing in her seat in agitation. I sat by her and smiled.

She gave me a short hug and urgently whispered, "Tell me everything!"

"What do you want to know?" I asked, tilting my head. It would be good to have a starting point for this.

She bit her lip and anxiously asked, "What happened last night?"

"We stayed later than I wanted to at that restaurant, and then he drove me home. He asked me uncomfortable questions the entire time, and really freaked me out," I stared out past her and recalled yesterday evening. I inwardly grumbled about the unfair it had been for Edward to intrude on our girls day out like that.

She nodded and continued her line of questioning, "How did you get home so fast?"

"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying," I firmly stated. He broke so many traffic rules, it wasn't even funny. Jessica drove fast too, but Edward drove like a speed demon with a death wish.

Jessica searched my face as concern colored her face. She hunched closer to me and whispered, "Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head, "Not a hair on my head." Surprisingly.

Her lips fell into an easy smile and her face relaxed, making the worried furrow in her brow disappear.

"Did he try and pick you up today?" she probed.

"Yes - that was a surprise. I didn't say yes though. He just followed behind my truck the whole way," I explained.

Jessica let out a chortle and nodded, "So are you going out again?"

I raised my brow at that thought. I didn't really count the time he stalked me into staying at the restaurant as a date. I made a face, "He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my truck is a toy - does that count?"

"Yes," she nodded. A thoughtful look crossed her face, and I idly wondered where she was going with this. She knew, just as much as the other girls, that I wasn't into Mr. Tall-dark-and-undead.

"Well, then, yes. Sad to say," I pulled on a sour expression. I really didn't want to take a ride with Edward Cullen anywhere again. Not if I didn't have to.

"W-o-w," she exaggerated the word into three syllables. She shook her head and whistled, "So Edward Cullen, huh?"

"I know," I agreed, shaking my own head. I didn't really know how to fix any of this.

"Wait!" Her hands flew up, palms toward me like she was stopping traffic. She looked around and scrutinized my face, "Has he kissed you?"

I let out a disgusted sound. Bah! Like I would ever kiss the likes of him. Over my _dead_ freaking body. "No. Trust me. It's not like that," I firmly stated.

She looked both disappointed and relieved. I think she just wanted to hear about what I would do if someone I didn't like tried to steal a kiss. I'd probably just kick that person's genitals. Hard.

Jessica bit her lip and hopefully asked, "Do you think Saturday...?"

"I highly doubt it," I carelessly said. I hoped to God that Edward would just keep his hands, and whatever else, to himself...or I would be forced to burn the offending body part off.

"What did you talk about?" She whispered. Class had started, but Mr. Vanush wasn't paying close attention and we weren't the only ones still talking.

"A lot of paranormal stuff for the most part," I whispered back.

"Please, Eliza, give me some details," she begged widening her blue eyes. Damn. She looked kind of like a puppy.

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair, "I honestly don't think I can." It was too absurd. and I didn't want her to label me as some nut job. I also didn't want her to possibly be eaten by vampires because she knew too much. I'm not sure if they did that sort of thing, but you never know.

A worried expression filtered through her face before she sighed. "I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him," she breathed.

"He's so...'intimidating'. I wouldn't know what to say to him," she made a face, probably remembering this morning or last night, when he'd turned the overwhelming force of his eyes on her.

"I agree," I admitted quietly. Did she know? Did she have a hunch? Was I _not_ alone here, in the fear that the vampires would suddenly go crazy and kill us all? That was a very likely scenario in my mind.

"Oh well. He is unbelievably gorgeous, I suppose, in a dangerous sort of way," Jessica added placatingly before shrugging as though this absolved some of his flaws.

"So do you like him?" she tapped her lip with her pencil and shot me an impish grin. Her tone was clearly joking, but I doubt that Edward would catch that.

"No," I said curtly. "But I don't see how I can help that," I sighed while copying the notes down off of the board. It was very hard not to dislike someone who may or may not eventually kill you.

Mr. Vanush called on Jessica for an answer, and she didn't get a chance to start on the subject again during class. Soon enough as the bell rang, I decided a change of topic was necessary.

"In English, Mike asked me if you said anything about Monday night," I told her.

"You're kidding! What did you say?!" she gasped, completely sidetracked.

I raised a brow at her before chuckling, "I told him you said you had a lot of fun - he looked pleased."

She let out a giddy sound and shook my shoulder excitedly demanding, "Tell me exactly what he said, and your exact answer!"

We spent the rest of the walk dissecting sentence structures and most of Spanish on a minute description of Mike's facial expressions. All of it in Spanish. _All_ of it. Safe to say, it was a pretty difficult discussion, for me anyways. Jessica could talk a mile a minute, even in another language. It was kind of hard to keep up.

As the bell sounded for lunch, I jumped up out of my seat, shoving my books roughly in my bag. I had enough Spanish for one day, thank you.

We walked toward the cafeteria in tandem and in relative silence before Jessica paused. She worriedly glanced at me, "You're not sitting with us today, are you?"

Outside the door to the cafeteria, leaning against the wall Edward was waiting for me. He gave Jessica the same sinister smile he had given me before. I looked at my first female friend, besides my mom, and sighed. I swear that I firmly stated that I wanted to spend some time with my friends at lunch. Did becoming a vampire make your memory selective?

"I don't think so," I muttered, shaking my head.

Jessica took one look at him and spotted the same smile I did. I noticed the hair on her arms stand, so I gave her the best reassuring hug I could. I'd come back from this. Alive. I hope.

She timidly stated, "See you later, Eliza." Her voice was thick with implications. I would be getting another worried call or text from her later on in the day. I inwardly shrugged. At least I wasn't the only one who had a hunch that Edward was bad news.

"Hello," his voice was amused and irritated at the same time. He'd been listening; that was obvious.

"Hi," I curtly stated.

I couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't speak - biding his time, I presumed - so it was a quiet walk through the cafeteria. Walking with Edward through the crowded lunchtime rush was a not at all like my first day here; everyone stared. I wondered if they saw what I saw? Or if they were hypnotized into doing whatever he wanted?

He led the way into the line silently, his eyes searching my face every few seconds, his expression speculative. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion on his face. He stepped up to the counter in front of me and filled two trays with food.

I raised my brow at the amount of food he was taking. Now that was just wasteful. I scowled and hissed, "What are you doing? You can't eat food." Did this guy just want to throw food away for fun? How about giving it to some of the kids that, I noted, couldn't really afford any food? Wouldn't that be better than just wasting it all?

He shook his head as the line move on, paying for both trays before I could object further. He also didn't let me pick out any food for myself. I felt my stomach growl and irritation rise.

While we walked through the cafeteria, he glanced at me with an amused tilt to his mouth, "Half is for you, of course."

I raised a brow. While it was nice to have a free meal, I would've rather paid for my meal if I had the chance.

He led the way to the same place we'd sat that one time before.

"Take whatever you want," he blandly stated, pushing one tray toward me.

I shook my head and took a slice of pizza, a bowl of salad, and the orange Fanta. I munched on my pizza, glancing at him warily, "I'm curious. What would you do if someone dared you to eat people food?"

He grimaced, holding my eyes as he lifted the slice of pizza off the tray, and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. I watched, snickering before munching on my meal. Lunch and a show. Impressive.

"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could too, couldn't you?" he asked peevishly. Something over my shoulder seemed to catch his attention.

He sighed and muttered, "Jessica's analyzing everything I do - she'll break it down for you later. Angela's worried about how I'm treating you. Lauren thinks this is a trick, and all your male friends think that I'm a bad influence." He pushed the rest of his pizza toward me. I glanced at the pile of food that was left on his tray. I wondered how I could get him to give that to one of the actually hungry kids here.

I rose my brow and tore off the piece that he bit and slid it back to him. I would eat his slice too, but not if his, probably venomous, saliva touched it. No thank you. I finished off my food and started munching on the bit of his pizza that seemed safe.

"Something you said to Jessica...well, it bothers me," his voice was husky, and he glanced up from under his lashes with troubled eyes. I inwardly rolled my eyes at this. That trick was not going to work on me, especially since every time he tried to hypnotize me it would inevitably cause my pendant and bracelet to burn me.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You can't control everybody," I reminded him.

"I warned you I would be listening though," he pouted slightly.

I shrugged and finished off my newly acquired pizza slice, "I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking."

"You did," he agreed, his voice rough. "I just wish...that you wouldn't be thinking some things," he sighed and shot me an aggravated look.

I scowled, "Well that's just too bad."

"But that's not really the point at the moment," he frowned. He had his large white hands folded under his chin, his eyes bored into mine. I felt a haze pass through me, but my pendant and bracelet solved that problem.

"Then what is?" I leaned back in my chair and shot him an irritated frown.

"Do you really not care about me at all?" he murmured, leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark eyes piercing. Why does that matter? It wasn't like we could really be friends...how could a person that wanted to kill me be my friend? Look at how last time worked. It was a disaster that almost succeeded in killing me.

"You're more a dangerous pain in my side, really," I muttered.

"Oh," he frowned.

"It's not your fault," I sighed. "You can't help it," I kept my eyes down on the table, my eyes tracing the pattern of the faux wood grains printed on the laminate. I don't think he really could help it, at this point.

Edward cleared his throat and spoke, his voice sad and soft, "You're wrong."

"I'm not," I disagreed firmly, shaking my head.

"What makes you think so?" his eyes were penetrating.

As I searched for the words, I could see him getting impatient; frustrated by my silence, he started to scowl. I rolled my eyes at him and snapped, "Let me think."

His expression fell into a dissatisfied pout.

"Well...when people are created into different creatures..." I hesitated, and shook of my wariness intent on proving my point. I took in a breath and continued, sighing, "You can't help how your cards are dealt. Sometimes in life, especially in yours, you really have to fight against what you're nature is and choose what you've been nurtured as. That can be difficult to do, and can cause friction amongst people who don't necessarily have to do that. Does that make any sense?" It made some sort of sense in this context, but I still felt like it sounded sort of stupid.

"Perceptive," he whispered, angst leaking into his voice.

"I have another question for you," he looked at me with wide eyes and a crocked grin.

I shrugged, "Shoot."

"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?" he tilted his head and I could easily liken him to the Cheshire cat with the way his smile was.

I made a face at the memory. "You know, I haven't forgiven you for the Tyler thing yet," I warned him. I was only very lucky that Lauren had stopped Tyler from thinking that he owed me Prom.

"Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me - I just really wanted to watch your face," he chuckled. I had the sudden urge to smack his face again, but thought better than to enact my urge. It was probably best not to antagonize a predator.

"If I'd asked you, would you have turned me down?" he asked, still laughing to himself.

"Probably," I admitted. "I do have an errand to run on that day, and you're really not someone I like that way," I let out a wry laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. I preferred someone with a heart beat. It was one of the qualifying things I looked for, since I dearly wanted a family of my own when I grew up.

He was puzzled, "Why not?"

I shook my head sadly, "Because you're literally dead? Obviously."

"That wouldn't be a problem," he seemed very confident in that notion. He shrugged and added, "It's all in perspective." He could see that I was about to protest, and he cut me off, "Anyways, you never told me - are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?"

"I actually need to pick up a package in Seattle, so yeah. I would mind if we diverged in what I was initially going to do. Also, I would prefer to be the one driving this time round," I quipped. It would provide me some means of a better method of escaping, should I find things go sour.

He rolled his eyes, "Alright, but you really shouldn't worry about my driving."

Edward turned stony for a moment and quietly asked, "Did you tell your father that you're spending the day with me?" There was an implication in his tone that I didn't quite like.

"I tell my dad everything. He knows. My mom knows, and so do my family friends. Take that as a warning," I unwaveringly stated. If I disappeared, I wanted everyone to know why and who I was with.

"Good," he smiled, and then paused. "Let's talk about something else," he suggested.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked. I glanced around us, idly people watching while Edward made up his mind. As I cast my eyes around the room, I caught the eyes of his sister, Alice, staring at me. The others were looking at Edward. I looked away swiftly, back to him, and inwardly cringed. Creepy.

"Why didn't you ask me how we eat?" he stared at me intently.

"Because it's obvious and I don't want to be rude?" I stated flatly.

He smirked, "Humor me on your theory."

I kept my voice low, "The legend says that you don't hunt humans, which can only mean a couple things. Blood bags, animal blood, magic, or the combination of the three." If vampires existed as well as shape shifters, I could firmly believe every other impossible thing was possible too.

He watched my face with enjoyment as I explained what I figured his diet would entail.

"Bravo," his voice was offhand, but his eyes were scrutinizing my face.

"Which one is it?" I asked, taking a sip of my orange Fanta.

He raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turned up into a slight smile, "A combination of all three."

"Go on," I said in a politely sipping my soda again.

"Of course," he said, and his tone mirrored mine, "We buy the blood bags from the hospital and the animal blood in bulk from Asian stores. We can eat cooked blood just as well as the liquid stuff. The animal blood has to be spelled into something similar to human blood though, but that costs extra when we ship to to and from our sources. There are also blood pops, but those are kind of pricey. Tasty though. I personally prefer the blood bags from the hospital than the latter."

"Damn," I murmured around my straw. That was kind of impressive. They worked out an entire system without needing to really harm anyone...still though. I would bet my life that there were a lot of vampires that weren't like that at all.

He snickered, shaking his head, "Tell me what you're really thinking, please."

"I'm trying to picture it," I admitted. Did this mean that they weren't as dangerous as I had initially thought?

"Ahh," he flashed his bright teeth in a brief, threatening smile. I inwardly shivered as I recalled their retractable fangs. Nope. Still dangerous.

He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest. He was on his feet in one lithe movement, "Bell's about to ring."

I glanced around, startled to see that he was right as the bell rang a moment after he spoke. We hurried off to class, and I caught my friends' worried looks. I shot them, what I assumed to be, a reassuring smile. This was getting complicated.


	11. Chapter 11

**11\. Different**

Mr. Banner backed into the room pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that held a flat screen with a DVD player. A movie day - the lift in the class atmosphere was almost tangible. Mr. Banner shoved the DVD into the reluctant DVD player and walked to the wall to turn off the lights. The movie was about life before birth and the great sperm race. It was pretty interesting. I really liked the ninja that were involved.

Mr. Banner flicked the lights back on at the end of class, and I stretched my arms out in front of me, flexing my stiff arms. Edward chuckled beside me for some reason.

"Well, that was interesting," he murmured.

"Mhmm," I nodded.

"Shall we?" he asked, rising fluidly.

I almost groaned. Why did he feel the need to escort me? Sure, I could get that it was nice, but really? I felt like I had a security detail when he did this. I inwardly sighed and nodded tartly after gathering my things.

He walked me to my next class in silence and paused at the door; I turned to say goodbye. He raised his hand and then swiftly brushed the length of my cheekbone with his fingertips. He turned without a word and strode quickly away from me. I gaped at his retreating back in shock. What the hell just happened?

Coach Clapp ordered us to pair up into teams once everyone had a badminton racket and a birdy. Mike jogged over and came to stand beside me with a smile.

He tilted his head, "Do you want to be a team?"

"Sure," I grinned. We were totally going to rock at this game.

"Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way," he grinned. He knew how much I liked this sport.

We won three games out of four; go team work! He gave me a high five when the coach finally blew the whistle ending class. Lee and Conner were pretty bad at this sport.

"So," he said as we walked off the court.

"So what?" I gulped down some water.

"You and Cullen, huh?" he asked, worry clearly leaking into his voice.

I barked out a laugh that made my head fall back. I shook my head, "That is- That is beyond funny."

"I take it that means no?" relief made his face fall into an easy going smile.

I rolled my eyes, "That is a no. A resounding no."

He nodded and quietly added, "Good, because he looks at you like- like you're something to _eat._ As in actual food, and not something sexual."

I choked back a hysterical laughter that threatened to explode, but a small giggle managed to get out despite my efforts.

He raised his brow at me, "What?"

I shook my head and quipped before I went to the dressing room, "You're pretty cool, Mike."

I dressed quickly, wondering if Edward would be waiting, or if I get home without him trailing me. What if his family was there? I felt a wave of real terror. Did they know that I knew? Was I supposed to know that they knew that I knew, or not? Fuck.

Edward was waiting, leaning casually against the side of the gym. Guess, I still had my security detail.

"Hi," I muttered.

"Hello," his answering smile was far too bright. "Congratulations on your games," he said delightedly. His eyes shifted their focus slightly, looking over my shoulder and narrowing. I glanced behind me to see Mike's back as he walked away.

"What?" I demanded.

His eyes slid back to mine, expression tight, "Newton's getting on my nerves."

I was horror-struck. Oh God. Did that mean he was going to kill my friend?

"You're horrible," I hissed, speeding away to the parking lot.

He kept up with me easily. We walked in silence - a furious silence on my part - to the parking lot.

Once we got there, I noted that a large bevy of boys circled around Rosalie's red convertible, unmistakable lust in their eyes. None of them even looked up as Edward slid between them to open his door. I climbed quickly into my car, also unnoticed.

I angrily sped away. It wasn't at all funny with how he implied he could just kill people who annoyed him. Not. Funny. At. All.

My phone buzzed as I drove and I automatically answered it, putting it on speaker phone. I hoped it was my mom. She could talk me down from this.

"Are you still angry?" Edward's voice ran out of my phone. How did he get my phone number? What the hell? I sighed and assumed it was probably from one of my friends' minds. I wouldn't put it past him at this rate.

I kept my eyes on the road and tightened my grin on the steering wheel, "Definitely."

He sighed, "Will you forgive me if I apologize?"

"Maybe...if you mean it. More so, if you promise never to kill anyone I care about," I insisted. I hoped he knew that I included myself in that as well.

"I'm very sorry I upset you, and I will never kill anyone you care about," he stated simply. I heard him chuckle over the phone, "I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning."

I groaned internally at the reminder, "Fine."

I finally made it to my house. I quickly parked my truck and hurried inside. I felt the bottle of holy water I always carried and slowly rubbed it on all the doorways and windows. It seemed a little crazy, but it helped me feel better.

I cooked up some carbonara with bacon and chicken for dinner, since it was my turn tonight. I unfroze a pie and hurriedly made a salad. It was easier to use cooking as a distraction than my homework right now. I had to keep my mind off of what could potentially be my doom tomorrow.

My dad came home late looking haggard. I was tempted to tell him about how the world was vastly different that how I thought it was, but decided against it. What would they do to him if he knew? I tried contacting my mom again, but the lines of communication were dead between us for some reason. For the first time in my life, I couldn't lean on my parents. It scared the shit out of me.

That night Edward haunted my dreams again. However, the climate of my unconsciousness had changed. It was darker and much more sinister than I was used to. I was just glad I had taken my nightly T3, which kept me sleeping throughout the night.

When I woke up, I felt cranky and anxious. Breakfast went along as per usual between my dad and me. We ate the frittatas my dad made and I relished the sweet treat he had gotten for me this morning.

"About this Saturday..." he began, walking across the kitchen and turning on the dishwasher as we cleaned up our morning meal.

I nodded, "Yes, Dad?"

"Are you still going to Seattle?" he asked. He looked vaguely worried. Maybe he changed his mind about this package? Was I free to blow off my strange vampire stalker?

"If you still want me to," I shrugged, cracking my back. I felt the delightful pops and sighed.

He leaned against the kitchen counter and let out a deep sigh, "Sorry, sweetheart. You _need_ that package though."

I nodded sadly, "Okay."

He walked over to me, kissed my cheek, and smiled warmly, "I love you. Come back safe when you do go, okay?"

"Will do, chief," I pulled on a strained smile. I really hoped that I was able to come back safely.

My dad left then, with a goodbye wave, and I went upstairs to brushed my teeth and took a speedy shower. I quickly gathered my things and threw my hair into a braid. I hoped that my Katniss braid would help give me a little more bravery. It felt stupid, but I was running out of coping methods. I bounded down the stairs and out the front door. I spotted a familiar looking Volvo outside and sighed. I wondered how long this bizarre routine would continue. He'd have to give up sometime, right?

He leaned against my truck and smirked, "Good morning. How are you today?" His eyes roamed over my face, as if his question was something more than simple courtesy. I shivered inwardly. He was as creepy as ever.

"Good, thank you," even if I was creeped out...my mom raised me to be polite. That was what I had to fall back on now.

His gaze lingered on the circles under my eyes, "You look tired."

"I had a rough night," I snapped, getting into my car. He nodded and walked back to his car. I drove to school at my usual pace with Edward trailing after me.

We made it to school eventually and he continued his relentless following of me from there as well. While we walked, he asked, "What music is in your phone right now?"

I rose my brow, and gave him a confused look. That was an odd question to ask, "Happy pop usually. I don't really mind listening to anything though."

"Debussy too?" he raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "Sure."

He seemed content with that answer. It continued like that for the rest of the day. While he stalked me to English, when he met me after Spanish, all through the lunch hour, he questioned me relentlessly about every insignificant detail of my existence. Movies I'd liked and hated, the few places I'd been and the many places I wanted to go, and books - endlessly books. I felt like I couldn't breath around him. My friends sent me worried texts, but I reassured them that I as fine. That I could _handle_ it.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd been bothered so much. He was startlingly difficult to shake. When he did pause, it was only for a very short while.

"What kinds of flowers do you prefer?" he fired off.

I let out a long suffering sigh. Here we go again.

Biology was the same as yesterday. Gym passed quickly as Mike and I throttled people in badminton. When I drove home, Edward didn't' call to bug me. Instead he popped out of the back seat of my truck, and almost caused me to crash. I gaped at him in bewildered shock when he continued his stream of questions. This guy really didn't know what boundaries meant.

He wanted to know what I missed about Phoenix, insisting on descriptions of anything he wasn't familiar with. How it was like to have a beating heart. How it felt to feel the sun on your skin without burning. What sleeping was like. I bet he could've Googled all this shit, but knowing him, it wouldn't have been as nice.

His quiet, probing questions kept coming throughout the entire drive, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Finally, when I had parked in my driveway, he paused instead of responding with another question.

"Are you finished?" I asked in relief. Thank God. He was worse than a curious two year old.

"Not even close, but your father will be home soon," he murmured.

I smiled. It was nice that my dad was getting here at a decent hour. I nodded, "Bye then." I stared up at the sky and noted that dark rain clouds had gathered in the sky. I mentally noted that I didn't have to water my garden today.

"It's twilight," Edward murmured, looking at the western horizon, obscured as it was with clouds. His voice was thoughtful, as if his mind were somewhere far away.

I raised my brow at him, "And?"

"It's the safest time of day for us," he said, smiling bitterly.

"Charlie will be here in a few minutes," he glumly stated. He followed after me as I got out of my truck.

He straightened up and stared past me. "Not good," he muttered.

"What is it?" I followed his gaze.

He glanced at me for a brief second. "Another complication," he said stiffly.

The flash of headlights caught my attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing us.

"Charlie's around the corner," he stated, staring at the other vehicle.

I raised my brow at him. Why he was keeping tabs on my dad, I did not know. I walked over to the car as Edward was illuminated in the glare of the new car's headlights. He was still staring ahead, his gaze locked on something or someone I couldn't see. His expression was a strange mix of frustration and defiance.

In a blink of an eye he was out of sight in seconds. I shook my head at that.

"Hey, Eliza," called out a familiar voice from the driver's side of the little black car.

"Jacob?" I asked, squinting through the dimming light. Just then, my dad's cruiser swung around the corner, his lights shining on the occupants of the car in front of me.

Jacob was already climbing out, his wide grin visible even through the darkening light. In the passenger seat was my godfather.

"Hi, uncle Billy," I waved slightly.

He sent me a grave smile, "Hello, Chippewa." His eyes lingered on where Edward had stood. I shot him an understanding look. Yeah. I know I had a vampire stalker, godfather.

He stared at me with intense, anxious eyes. I nodded and he looked deeply worried. I sighed in a way that silently said, I have no fucking clue as to what to do.


	12. Chapter 12

**12\. Unexpected**

"Billy!" my dad called out as soon as he got out of his cruiser.

I turned toward the house while my dad helped my godfather out of his car. Jacob and I ducked under the porch as the rain started pitter-pattering down. I heard my dad joke around with my godfather after loudly greeting him.

"Using your son as child labor. For shame," he said disapprovingly, a laughing tilt in his voice.

"I have to get around somehow," he said chuckling. The rain fell down harder as we all went inside. I hung my anorak on the hook along with Jacob's thing sweater. My dad pulled out some ply wood and used it as an improvised ramp, letting my godfather get into our house with ease.

They hurried in, shaking off the rain. I helped my godfather with his coat while my dad hung his gun belt and got out of his boots. Jacob happily leaned against the wall and seemed to just relish being here again.

"This is a surprise," my dad said with a smile. We all traversed into the living room. I sat down onto the couch with Jacob flopping beside me, as my dad talked to my godfather.

"It's been too long since the summer," he answered with a subdued sort of smile.

An understanding gleam shone in my dad's eyes, "Understandable. Gonna watch the game with me?"

Jacob grinned cheekily, "I think that's the plan, uncle Charlie. Our TV broke last week."

Uncle Billy made a face at his son, "And, of course, Jacob was anxious to see Eliza again." Jacob scowled and pouted. I laughed and shoved his shoulder. Jacob rolled his eyes at me and pinched my cheek. I glowered at him after swatting his hand away.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning toward the kitchen. I felt my stomach gurgle in protest.

"Naw, we ate just before we came," Jacob answered, cracking his neck. He sighed happily and I made a face at his creepy habit.

"How about you, dad?" I asked. I think we still had some left overs. Or we could order pizza? Meh. Guests always screwed up our meal wheel.

"Sure, call and order us some take out, sweetie. Your choice," he replied, as he and uncle Billy settled in front of the TV.

I decided that I wanted grilled cheese sandwiches, instead of pizza. I did order some pizza just in case I changed my mind later. The pizza guy said he'd be here in less than thirty minutes. This further fueled my desire to eat grilled cheese sandwiches. A grilled cheese sandwich sizzled away in a frying pan while I was slicing up a tomato. I sensed someone behind me.

"So, how are things?" Jacob asked impishly. He eyed my sizzling sandwich.

I laughed and finished up what I was doing, "Pretty good."

I placed the tomatoes and sandwich on a nearby plate, "How about you? Did you finish your car?"

"No," he frowned. "I still need parts. We borrowed that one," he pointed with his thumb in the direction of the front yard. Ahhh. That meant I could still order that part he was missing for his birthday. I inwardly smirked.

I widened my eyes and did my best impression of a doe, "What was it you were looking for?"

"Master cylinder," he stated. He raised his brow, "Why? What are you planning?"

I shrugged biting into my sandwich, "Nothing."

"So, who was that creepy vanishing guy?" he asked, stealing one of my tomatoes. I shot him an irritated look and popped a tomato piece into my mouth.

"An undead creep who keeps following me," I stated simply. I doubted that he would believe.

Jacob let out a guffaw before shaking his head, "No really, my dad seemed to know him from somewhere."

I continued eating, watching the clock now and again. The pizza guy still wasn't here. I gave Jacob a long suffering sigh, "You don't believe me."

He rolled his eyes, "Nope. So who was it?"

I sighed in defeat, "Edward Cullen."

To my surprise, he laughed. He looked a little embarrassed, "Guess that explains it, then. I wondered why my dad was acting so strange."

I shrugged and stayed silent. I doubted he or my dad would really believe me. It was moot point to really try.

"Superstitious old man," Jacob muttered under his breath.

"You don't think he'd say anything to my dad, do you?" I couldn't help asking, the words coming out in a low rush. Maybe if uncle Billy said it, my dad would take them being vampires more seriously.

Jacob stared at me for a moment, and I couldn't read the expression in his dark eyes. "I doubt it," he finally answered.

He sighed and stole half my grilled cheese sandwich. I scowled at him while he munched on it, "I think uncle Charlie chewed him out pretty good last time. They haven't spoken much since their last argument - tonight is sort of a reunion, I think. I don't think he'd bring it up again."

"Oh," I said, glumly. Damn it. I finished off my half of the grilled cheese sandwich and let Jacob eat the rest of my sliced tomatoes.

The pizza guy eventually came. Jacob, my dad, and uncle Billy ate most of it, but I did end up eating a slice as well. We stayed in the living room watching a soccer game. I didn't really know either of the teams, but it was pretty interesting for the most part. Jacob and I chattered away whenever we got bored.

It was a long night, and I had a lot of homework that was going undone, but it wasn't every day that I had my godbrother and godfather over. I could always do it later.

"Are you and your friends coming back to the beach soon?" Jacob asked as he pushed his father over the lip of the threshold.

"I'm not sure if they want to come, but I'd like to go to La Push and bug you guys sometime," I happily stated. I could beat Quil at Mario Kart again.

Jacob grinned, "Sounds like a plan, shortstop."

I grimaced at him, "You tall weirdo."

He shrugged and mussed up my hair. I scowled up at him. I punched his shoulder and gave my godfather a hug goodbye.

"That was fun, Charlie," uncle Billy said, as we made it down to our driveway.

"Come up for the next game," my dad encouraged.

"Sure, sure," uncle Billy said. He smiled at me and my dad, "We'll be here. Have a good night."

While my dad turned, his eyes caught mine. A deeply worried expression flashed across his face, "Be safe, Chippewa."

I felt my eyes water slightly as I pulled on a determined smile, "I will, uncle Billy. I'll see you soon."

A warm smile appeared on his face as both he and Jacob drove away. I watched them go with a heavy heart. The only person that believed me in this mess. It was too bad no one else believed me.

I turned back and went inside. I jumped onto my dad's back like a monkey, "How was work dad?"

My dad shook me off and shot me an amused look, "I didn't shoot anyone. The case is going, but a lot of the other cops are giving up."

I cringed. Damn it. He looked at my expression and patted my head, "Don't worry about it, dumpling. Your old man is on the case."

A worried smile pulled at my lips, "Okay, dad." I kind of wished he wasn't on the case though. If only to keep him safe.

As we walked into the kitchen my dad asked, "How was your day today?"

"Good for the most part. My badminton team won all four games. My day was not as good as it could've been because Edward Cullen keeps following me," I stated as I sat down at the table. My dad set the kettle onto the stove and heated up some hot water for some hot chocolate.

"Wow, that's great! Edward Cullen is probably just trying to get to know you, Eliza. Don't worry about it," my dad murmured as we waited for the kettle to sound.

I sighed. I knew he wouldn't believe he was trouble. I shrugged, "I guess."

Soon enough we were drinking our hot chocolate and talking about topics that stayed far away from the Cullens. Eventually, I noted the time and excused myself. I had a lot of homework to do that I had put off long enough. I did procrastinate just a little more by texting my friends and my mom. My friends replied, but I still got nothing from my mom. My heart ached. I wondered what happened to her.

I slept better that night because I was too tired to dream. When I woke to the pearl gray morning, my mood was blissful. I caught myself whistling while I did my hair and walked down the stairs.

"You're cheerful this morning," he commented over breakfast. He made waffles and bacon today.

I shrugged and happily munched on my meal, "I think it'll be a good day today."

I had my bag ready, shoes on, teeth brushed, and felt that the day would be better than yesterday. I hoped that I was right, and that Edward wouldn't show up to ruin my day today. Lady luck was not on my side, he was by his shiny car, windows down, engine off near my truck.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

My face soured and I tartly spat, "Fine. How was your night?"

"Pleasant," his smile was amused; I felt like I was missing an inside joke. My right eye twitched, he probably did something creepy again.

The day had sped by in the blur that was rapidly becoming routine. Luckily today, I managed to sit and eat with my friends for most of lunch until Edward managed to whisk me away again. I don't know how he did that, and I didn't much like it.

"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch," he flatly stated.

"Oh," I blinked, and shrugged. "That's okay," I was inwardly beaming. I didn't have to tend to my stalker today.

"I need to _eat_ more," he answered grimly. "If I'm going to be alone with you tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can," his face grew morose. I still didn't know why he wanted to come so badly.

I changed the subject. "What time will I see you tomorrow?" I asked, sipping on my iced tea.

"The same time as usual," he decided.

"Why are you going with just Alice?" I wondered.

"Alice is the most...supportive," he frowned as he spoke.

I raised a brow. So did that mean she was crazy too? "And the others?" I asked dryly. Surely they could see why this was crazy.

His brow puckered for a brief moment, "Incredulous, for the most part."

I checked on his family. They sat staring off in different directions, exactly the same as the first time I'd seen them. I wondered if they choreographed doing that before they came here.

He let out a put out huff, "They don't understand why I can't leave you alone."

I grimaced, "Neither do I, for that matter."

Edward shook his head slowly, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling before he met my gaze again, "You fascinate me."

I glared at him. I was not some side show for his amusement.

He smiled as he murmured, "You always take me by surprise."

I looked away, embarrassed and dissatisfied. It wasn't a good enough reason to stalk someone you could eat.

Alice was suddenly standing behind his shoulder. Her slight frame was willowy, graceful even in absolute stillness.

He greeted her without looking away from me, "Alice."

"Edward," she answered, her high soprano voice reminding me of bells.

"Alice, Eliza – Eliza, Alice," he introduced us, gesturing casually with his hand, a wry smile on his face.

"Hello, Eliza," her eyes were unreadable, but her smile was friendly. She titled her head, "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hi, Alice. It's nice to meet you too," I murmured, and nodded. She seemed pretty cool, for a vampire.

"Are you ready?" she asked him.

His nodded and they left without another word. I went to class as per usual and I felt that I was finally having a normal day for once. In Gym, Mike wished me a good time in Seattle, which reminded me about my pain in the neck. I politely thanked him, since I knew that he meant well.

When the school day had finally ended, I walked to the parking lot enthusiastically. No stalker in sight. When I got home, I unwound and did my usual routine. Since it was my turn at the chore wheel today, I went straight to the laundry room and completed my task. I texted my mom as per usual, but I stopped hoping for her to reply. I just hoped that she got my messages.

My dad and I ate sushi for dinner. I think he was trying to branch out for some reason. It was still a great meal and our conversation was light and fun for the most part. He still insisted that I pick up the package. I acquiesced to his request, but I really didn't want to go.

I took my nightly T3 and waited for it to kick in. My legs didn't hurt as much as before, but it was better safe than sorry. My dreams were thankfully blank as the night wore on.


	13. Chapter 13

**13\. Answers**

I woke up early and saw a thin cottony layer of clouds covering the sky. I wondered if this meant that Edward was going to be turned into ash today. That'd be neat to see.

I ate breakfast with my dad as per usual. He was apparently going fishing with a bunch of guys from the office today. I wished him a good day, and my dad wished me a safe journey.

I walked to the door and opened it, and there he was. His face was somber, but then his expression lightened as he looked me over, and he laughed.

"Good morning," he chuckled.

"What?" I glanced down to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything important, like shoes, or pants. That'd be awkward.

"We almost match," he laughed again. I realized he had on a long, light tan sweater with a white collar showing underneath, and blue jeans. The only difference was the anorak that I constantly wore. I laughed with him, and shrugged. Meh. What could you do?

I locked the door behind me while he walked to the truck. He waited by the passenger door with a martyred expression.

"Suck it up, Dracula," I tartly stated, climbing into the driver's seat, and reaching over to unlock his door.

He made a face at me, but still got into the passenger side of the car. It was surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the road while feeling his gaze on my face. I compensated by driving carefully through the still sleeping town. It was a three hour forty one minute drive to Seattle. He was polite and didn't pepper me with questions most of the time, but it was certainly more Edward than I wanted all at once.

We made it to the postal office that held the package my mom sent me. As we waited in line Edward asked, "What are you thinking about?"

I looked at him and muttered, "Why this package was so important, and why you haven't burst into flames yet." To be fair, it wasn't really _that_ sunny over here in Seattle either.

It took another hour before I got my package and when I had it, it was wrapped with the same cryptic scribbles that my pendant and bracelet had. Edward glanced at my package and frowned.

The drive back was pretty quiet for the most part, but Edward couldn't seem to help himself sometimes.

"Do I scare you?" he asked playfully, but I could hear the real curiosity in his soft voice.

"No more than usual," I stated blandly

He smiled wide, his teeth flashing.

"Tell me what you're thinking about," he whispered. I glanced at him and saw his eyes watching me, suddenly intent.

I rose my brow at his request and he muttered, "It's still so strange for me, not knowing."

I blew a strand of hair away from my face and concentrated on driving, "You know, the rest of us feel that way all the time."

Edward sighed and continued on watching me like a zoo animal, "It's a hard life not to know, but you didn't tell me."

"I was wishing I could know why you won't leave me alone," I rolled my eyes and glanced at him briefly before roving my eyes back onto the road ahead of us. I gripped the wheel slightly and took in a deep breath. Calm. Eliza. Don't let him get under your skin.

He tilted his head, "And?"

"And you don't need to know," I shook my head and shot him a sharp glance.

"I want to know though," his voice was just a soft murmur.

An irritated sigh escaped my lips, "Well, why don't you answer first?"

He nodded, "I'm the world's best predator. Everything about me invites people in - my voice, my face, even my smell, and yet _you_ **resist**. **_That_ ** fascinates me. At first I kept coming back because of your scent..."

"You know how everyone enjoys different flavors?" he asked.

I raised my brow at his abrupt change in topic, but nodded, "Yeah."

"People are like that to vampires. You see, every person smells different, has a different essence. You essence is like my heroin," he stated simply.

I choked out a laugh and shot him a wary look, "And?" Well that sucked balls. Why wasn't I dead then?

He chuckled and shook his head, "That was before though...now I keep coming back because I can talk to you. You still smell like my type of heroin though."

His expression slowly folded into a mask of sadness, "I promise..." He hesitated, "I swear not to hurt you." He seemed more concerned with convincing himself than me.

At that I had to laugh, though the sound was hollow in my ears. I shot him a sympathetic look, "I won't hold you to it."

He frowned, "I really don't want to be a **monster**."

I nodded, "I know, but I doubt you can't help it sometimes."

"I suppose..." he stared out of his window, and for a while a pregnant silence reigned between us.

"The heroin thing. Does that happen often?" I asked, fidgeting slightly.

"I spoke to my brothers about it," he stared into the distance. An apologetic smile slid onto his face, "To Jasper, every one of you is much the same. He's the most recent to join our family. It's a struggle for him to abstain at all. He hasn't had time to grow sensitive to the differences in smell."

"That's kind of creepy," I gripped my steering wheel as we drove down the highway.

He took a deep breath and gazed at the sky again, "So Jasper wasn't sure if he'd ever come across someone who was as..." he hesitated, looking for the right word, "...Appealing as you are to me. Emmett has been on the wagon longer, so to speak, and he understood what I meant. He says twice, for him, once stronger than the other."

"What did Emmett do?" I asked, wary about what the possible answer might be.

His face grew dark, and his hands clenched into a fist in his lap. He looked away, "They're dead."

"I guess should've known when I asked," I muttered after a long stretch of silence.

"It took everything I had not to jump up in the middle of that class full of children and -" he stopped abruptly, looking away. "When you walked past me...I could have ruined everything Carlisle built for us, right then and there," he scowled at the blurring trees.

I nodded silently. I didn't know quite what to say. I was just glad that he didn't go through with that urge of his.

He glanced at me grimly, "You must have thought I was possessed."

"Not possessed..." I muttered.

He continued on, as though I hadn't said a thing, "To me, it was like you were some kind of demon, summoned straight from my own personal hell to ruin me. The fragrance coming off your skin...I thought it would make me deranged that first day. In that one hour, I thought of a hundred different ways to lure you from the room with me, to get you alone and kill you. I had to run out, to get away before I could speak any words that would make you follow..."

I raised a brow, "Really, now." I felt the burn of my pendant and bracelet. I inwardly shook my head at his words. I doubt I would've come willingly. I don't doubt that he still would've been able to kill me though.

"You would have come," he stated dully.

I shook my head and firmly said, "I really wouldn't have."

He frowned down at his hands, ignoring my statement, "And then, as I tried to rearrange my schedule in a pointless attempt to avoid you, you were there, in that close warm little room, the scent was maddening. I resisted though. I forced myself not to wait for you, not to follow you from the school. It was easier outside, when I couldn't smell you anymore, to think clearly, to make the right decision. I left. By the next morning I was in Alaska. In the pure air of the mountains it was hard to believe you were so irresistible. I convinced myself it was weak to run away. I took precautions, feeding more than usual before seeing you again. I was sure that I was strong enough to treat you like any other human."

I slowly nodded after another long period of silence, "Huh..."

"It was unquestionably a complication that I couldn't simply read your thoughts to know what your reaction was to me. I wasn't used to having to go to such circuitous measures, listening to your words in your friend's minds...it was annoying to have to stoop to that. And then I couldn't know if you really meant what you said. It was all extremely irritating," he frowned deeply, shooting me an irritated look.

I sighed. This was starting to feel like a villainous rant, especially when he just ignored me. I checked my phone's GPS; we were an hour away from Forks. I inwardly groaned.

"Of course, then you were nearly crushed to death in front of my eyes. Later I thought of a perfectly good excuse for why I acted at that moment - because if I hadn't saved you, if your blood had been spilled there in front of me, I don't think I could have stopped myself from exposing my family. At the time though, all I could think was, 'Not her'," he closed his eyes, lost in his apparent confession.

He met my eyes, and his expression was surprisingly tender, "Elizabeth?"

I tilted my head and nodded, "Yes, Edward?"

"I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. I don't know why, but I- I wouldn't be able to bare it," he looked down, his eyes agonized.

He quietly murmured, "You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever since I became a monster."

My head was spinning at the rapid change in direction our conversation had taken, "Wow. That- I- Uh..." I let out a surprised sigh, "Wow."

"So?" he asked with a hopeful smile.

I shot him a pitying look, "I don't like you that way. Sorry." I wasn't really sorry, but it seemed like the correct sympathetic thing to say.

Our eyes met, and he laughed, "Not _**romantically**_ , you idiot. I don't like you like that either. I just can't put my finger on it. You are _**important**_ to me, and I love you, but I know it's _not_ romantic. I didn't sexually imprint on you, so you're not my mate."

I looked away, hiding the relief in my eyes as we drove onward, "That's good to know." I wished I knew what he meant. What the fuck did sexual imprinting mean? The more answers I got, the more questions I seemed to have.

He smiled happily in his seat as the silence between us stretched on uncomfortably.

After a while I let out a frustrated huff, "Okay, then. What do you wanna talk about now?"

"I wish," he whispered, "I wish you could feel the...the confusion...I feel. That you could understand."

So he was still brooding over this topic, huh? I sighed and pulled on my long lasting patience, "You could try telling me. People tell me I'm a pretty good listener."

"You are important to me like my family, my undead one, but at the same time...I wanna kill you and drain your delicious bold because its so intoxicating," he bluntly stated. He let out an unhappy sigh, "It's hard."

I nodded. I couldn't quite understand since I never tried any drugs. Mostly because I thought people would find out and I wouldn't be able to be a cop. I did try to empathize with his confusion and sadness though.

"I want to be close to you, but I don't know how," he admitted.

"Is this why you've been stalking me?" I quirked a brow in his direction for a moment before concentrating on the road again.

He shot me a sheepish grin, "Mhmm."

I snorted and let out a genuinely amused laugh, "You could try not doing that, and just get to know me like a regular person."

"I guess...I don't know how effective that would be though," he muttered.

"It's worth a shot," I stated. "So what's your real name and age?"

He let out a bewildered laugh, "Does that matter?"

"To most people, it does."

"I was born in Chicago in 1901," he paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes.

He smiled a tiny smile and continued when I didn't outwardly respond, "Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza. My name before Carlisle changed me was Edward Masen junior. I was the second one he changed after Esme."

"Huh. How did your 'family' grow then?" Curiosity ran through me. What was the reasoning that Carlisle had for all of this.

"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him - he was careful with his thoughts around me," he rolled his eyes.

"She was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. We were in Appalachia at the time and she found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself."

"But she made it," I stated.

"Yes," he murmured. "She imprinted on him, which meant that he needed to stay on this plane of existence for her to survive. They've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple, but the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school. I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again," he laughed.

I tilted my head, "What is imprinting? Like the kind you keep talking about, because the one I'm familiar with involves ducks and eggs."

Edward barked out a laugh and smiled, "Nope. It's not like that. Psychologically speaking it's the process by which most magical creatures, and young animals, learn the characteristics of a desirable mate. With the additional mix of magic, we magical creatures use it to find the most viable mate. Someone that will provide us with the strongest chances of survival in life. Not reproduction for vampires though, for obvious reasons."

"Okay. That's good to know. How about Alice and Jasper then?" Were they mates too? I sort of got the gist of what he was talking about, but not really. It was more magic than science and the most magic I knew came from the world of Harry Potter.

"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another...family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me and Jasper, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind."

"That means?"

"She sees things - things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change. Jasper can detect and shift emotions."

I shook my head. So...I had a vampire friend now and his family had weird super powers. This was new. We drove the rest of the way with the radio blaring and the windows down. The silence that settled between us wasn't tense anymore.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Thank you to the people that read this story.

Thank you to Arwen-MidnightSun85, Jlyric1, SarahanjoMiller, and Twiheart23teamjacob for following my story.

Thank you to ElizaCullen1884, SarahanjoMiller, and Wollerosekaufn, for adding my story to their favorite's list.

SarahanjoMiller: You are so awesome! Thank you so much for your review.

Guest: Thank you for your compliment. c:

 **14\. Family ties**

We were parked in front of my house now, and I noted that everything around us seemed hushed and dark; the moon didn't hang in the sky tonight. The porch light was off so I knew my dad wasn't home yet. All in all, it wasn't _so_ bad driving with Edward.

"Thanks for coming with me to Seattle. It was surprisingly okay," I shot him a smile as I walked to my porch.

He grinned, "Thanks for letting me. I'll see you soon?"

I nodded and firmly stated, "No more stalking."

Edward barked out a laugh, "I can only try." With a flash he was gone. I idly wondered what he meant by that.

I walked back into the house, package in hand. Once I was plopped down onto my bed, I tore open the package with relish. Maybe my questions about why my mom hadn't answered would be revealed? When I opened the package my mom sent, I was beyond confused. I certainly had more questions than answers right now.

Inside the box, past the sparkly paper was a shiny new android phone, a large looking tome, a parchment looking thing, and vile of, still liquid looking, blood.

I leaned away from the box. Why the hell would my mom send this? I took out the android phone and turned it on. It didn't start like most phones did. Instead, it chimed like the wind chimes that hung in my old bedroom. My mom's face flickered onto the screen.

I saw her haggard look and almost cried. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I whispered, "Mom?"

Her image grew fuzzy before focusing again. She smiled at me and I felt my heart clench.

"Sweetie, if you receive this then several things have happened. If I haven't replied to your messages in a while, it's because I have a good reason to do so. I'm _**not** _ dead. If I was you'd be getting a much different package. Don't send me any more messages or phone calls on your phone. It isn't as secure as this one at the moment. Listen carefully, because after I say this...this message will be wiped. I won't be able to say any of this out loud again. I never thought that _fucking_ vampires would find us **again** , but it just goes to show you how life is strange."

I caught a glimpse of my mom's earrings and noted, for the first time, that they were exactly like my pendant. She smiled sadly at me, "Your grandparents didn't die in a car accident like your father thinks. Vampires slaughtered them when my mom didn't have her bracelet on. I saw the crime scene photos. Cars don't do that sort of thing to people. I didn't leave Forks or your father because I thought that my hometown was stifling. Magic is real. Monsters are real. I could see through vampires' masks and allure. My earrings helped with that. We had a real 'pest' problem back then. One took a special liking to you, so I ran away. I left to save the both of us when your father didn't believe me. As much as I loved your father, I would never risk either of our lives just to stay. Sometimes, love is _not_ enough, darling."

I stared in abject horror at the bracelet that adorned my wrist. I looked around and huddled further onto my bed, curling around the android phone as my mom's message continued.

Tears ran down my mom's face before she shook it off. She rubbed her eyes away with the heels of her hands and sighed. Her smile was strained when she spoke next, "Look through the package. Phil and I relocated back to Phoenix when one of his close friends 'vanished'. Never **ever** take off your pendant."

She blew a kiss my way and sighed, "I don't know if it'll be any safer for me and Phil once you get this package, but I hope that I'll be able to answer your call. I miss you." Her image fuzzed out and the phone started up like normal. I stared at it in confusion, despite all the answers that her message told me, my mind still world with questions.

I shook slightly, only just realizing that I had been crying. I sniffled and rubbed away my tears. I put the phone down and decided to call my mom later. Dragging the parchment looking thing towards me, I unfolded it. It was a bit dusty making me sneeze when I wiped away the grime.

My eyes widened as I looked at the family tree that was printed on the parchment paper. I scanned the tree and noticed there was a Masen on the tree. Didn't Edward say that his last name was Masen?

I nearly choked on my saliva when I saw that. I traced his line and found that it looked like Edward Masen Sr. had cheated on his wife, at some point, and produced another son. That mistress ended up naming their son Edward as well. I made a face and did the math. That would make Edward my great times eight grand uncle. I idly wondered if having my scent be so appetizing to Edward was the outcome of me being his descendant. Dulled horror struck me when I recalled how Emmett had killed some people way back when because they smelled like his personal heroin. Did that mean he had killed his descendants? I cringed at that thought. That was kind of sick.

I put the parchment aside, too queasy with the implications to examine it any longer. I racked my eyes over the large looking tome and flipped through it, scanning it's contents. From what I could figure out it was my mom's ancestral book. An entire chapter explained how my maternal ancestors were vampires that were cursed back into humans. When other vampires drank their blood they were turned back into humans instead, permanently. Some vampires didn't like the fact that our blood could reverse the process of becoming a blood sucker. The vile of blood was apparently the original sample of my ancestors that always traveled with this tome. It also chronicled the dying line of Higginbothams until, apparently, only me and my mom were left. I cringed when I read through the different ways each Higginbotham died, and at which vampire hand. I held up the tome and inspected it some more. Was this thing magic?

I leaned back and let myself fall onto my back. My bed bounced a little as I stared at my ceiling. Why couldn't I have been some sort of awesome genius witch instead of this? I sighed, and turned onto my side. What the fuck was I going to do now? Light glinted against my bracelet, and I gazed at it thoughtfully. This bracelet didn't magically appear at the store...it couldn't have. It must have been a threat. I frowned. Fuck. What did it really mean though? God damn it.

I heard the door unlock and heard my dad call out my name. I placed everything back into the box and made sure to seal it back up. I smeared some holy water on it all, just in case. I really hoped Edward wasn't lying about the whole 'vampire's can't come in unless you invite them in' sort of deal.

I ran down the stairs and called out, "Up here, dad!"

My dad smiled at me, as he caught sight of my descending figure. I jumped onto his back as he finished hanging up his gun, and taking off his boots.

He chuckled as he shook me off, "How was your trip?"

I sighed, "Informative. I got the package that mom sent me." My smile dimmed as I recalled the contents within the aforementioned package.

He wiggled a big brown bag in front of my face, distracting my heavy thoughts, "You wanna talk about it over dinner?" The smell emanating from the bag smelt delectable.

"Yes, sir!" I beamed. I felt my stomach gurgle unhappily. It was good that we were going to eat now. I guessed that I hadn't noticed how hungry I was when I was looking through everything I had received when I got home.

We set up the table and my dad set out some lasagna and garlic bread onto the table. I grabbed us some glasses of milk, and a spoon for each of us. Apparently uncle Billy sent up the food with my dad when they saw each other today. I think he may have been worried about all the take out food me and my dad enjoyed eating lately. I personally thought it was great; I hadn't had to eat kale in weeks. Bah.

I scarfed down my portion of food even as it burned my tongue. I hadn't realized that I had been _this_ hungry. I had probably been shaking slightly earlier on. I really needed to monitor when I ate. Gotta be more careful. My dad raised a brow at me as I sheepishly smiled, sipping my milk. He shook his head and cracked a grin around his spoon.

"So how'd you like it?" he asked, as I munched on some garlic bread.

I swallowed down a bite and beamed, "It was great. Uncle Billy makes excellent lasagna." I scooped some more of my lasagna sauce with my crunchy garlic bread before popping it into my mouth.

My dad let out a hearty laugh, "Be sure to tell him that the next time we see them. I don't think people tell him that enough. So what's bugging you, sweetheart?"

The grin on my face diminished into nothing as a frown overtook its place. I looked up at my dad and searched his face for a moment before responding, "Mom sent me a new phone, and some pretty weird stuff. Did we ever have any relatives with the last name Masen?" I had to know if what my mom was saying was true, or if this was the cruelest prank ever.

He thoughtfully hummed before nodding, "Your mother loved weird things when we grew up together, so I'm not too surprised. Don't take any of it too seriously, okay? Indeed we do. My mother's maiden name was Masen, why sweetheart?" Seriously?

I shook my head at the ridiculousness of it all, "Okie dokie. I was just curious. Mom mentioned it." Get the fuck out of here. Damn. I pulled on a strained smile as I felt my mind explode. It wasn't a prank. It was _all_ real. I **wasn't** crazy.

I ate some more of my lasagna before asking, "How was your day, dad?"

"Good. The fish were biting when I was fishing, so it was a nice day. I got called into the office for a brief period at the end there, but it was just some paper work regarding the missing people. It'll be fine though. I'm sure of it," he blithely stated, spooning food into his mouth.

"Find any cute boys yet? Or girls? I'm okay with both, and I will still love you either way," he chuckled, as I blushed. The hell dad?

"No, dad. I still haven't found anyone that I _like_ up here in Forks, and also I _like_ boys. Not girls. Both can be pretty, but I don't wanna _do_ both," I stated, a bewildered smile pulling at my mouth as my right eye twitched.

"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. You do know that I'll _always_ love you, no matter what, even if you like someone weird?" he shrugged, eyeing my expression. I think he still recalled how the whole debacle with Quil turned out.

"Thanks dad," my blush receded, and a soft grin tugged at my lips. Sometimes I wished he was more protective and didn't worry that I was going to end up as a spinster. Or eaten by cats. It was still good to know that he cared though.

"Hey, dad?" I hesitantly asked, desperate to change the direction of this conversation.

"Yes, snuggle bug?" my dad munched on some garlic bread, blithely.

"Do you think that I could hang out with Jacob and the guys tomorrow?" I desperately needed some time with childhood friends to _just be_ _normal_ _,_ even just for a little while. All this paranormal shit, was messing with my head.

"Yeah. We can eat dinner with Billy, too. We haven't done that in a while," he tilted his head and thoughtfully added.

"You gonna forget old man?" I tossed a crooked smile his way. He was always doing that with our dinner plans with other people. I never knew why, but even when I reminded him in the morning, he still forgot.

He rolled his eyes and sipped his milk, raising a brow at me, "Psh. I'm not that young, you whippersnapper."

I snorted out a laugh, moving my food around my plate, "When you say words like that, dad. It's- it's kind of like you're _old_."

"Can't take a joke. Finish your food," he glanced at my plate and grumbled.

I nodded and I finished my last bite of lasagna and drank the remains of my milk with a gulp, "Okay."

After tomorrow I really needed to figure out a game plan for this. Was I just being paranoid about how the bracelet came to me? Or was I right? Was someone really after me and my mom? I shook my head and pulled my head into my arms on top of the table.

My dad raised a brow at my actions, "Maybe you should go to bed early, sweetheart. You look bushed."

I lifted my head up and tilted my head at my dad, "Yeah, I'm just tired. I can go to bed early tonight."

He nodded as I gathered up my dirty plate and utensils, and shoved them into the dishwasher. When I passed by him he patted my shoulder, "Don't worry so much, okay honey? Life always works out. I love you."

A slow grin made its way onto my face, "Thanks dad. I love you too. Good night."

He popped another piece of lasagna into his mouth, "Sleep tight. Night, honey."

I walked up the stairs to my room. My eyes scanned the darkness, the impenetrable shadows of the trees that swayed back and forth beyond my window. I shivered. Could that vampire that left the bracelet know that I knew? Did it have powers like the Cullens? I shook those scary thoughts away. I slathered holy water on all the openings of my room. I hoped that it helped, but I didn't really know.

I glanced at the sealed package on my bed. I popped it open again and pocketed the phone. It would be weird having two cellphones, but it was better than not ever being able to contact my mom right now. I tucked the other things into my backpack. Strangely enough, the large tome, the vile of blood, and the parchment shrunk when it went into my bag. When I took it out, it got larger. It was further proof of magic existing, or uncle Billy snuck in magic mushrooms in the lasagna. I highly doubted that he would do that though.

Grabbing my pajamas from off the floor, I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth fiercely, and took a long hot shower. The hot water unknotted the muscles in my back, and calmed my racing pulse. The familiar smell of my shampoo made me feel like I might be the same person I had been this morning. I tried not to think of monsters, because then I had to start all over with the calming process. I shut off the water, toweling hastily, rushing again. I pulled on my holey t-shirt and gray sweatpants. I rubbed the towel through my hair again, and then yanked the brush through it quickly. I threw my towel into my hamper, and flung my brush and toothpaste into my bag. I could always use my spare ones at home. You never know when you would need either on the road. That, or I was being far too paranoid right now. When would I ever be on the run? Seriously. I took in a deep breath and sighed.

I traced the shell of the phone my mom sent me. Would she even answer if I texted? I didn't really want the sting of her not answering again...still though. I took the plunge and texted my mom:

"Are you there?"

The phone that she sent me buzzed:

"I am. I'm sorry to spring this on you, sweetheart. Call me tomorrow. I love you more than a million sparkly shoes."

My breath caught in my throat as I read her message. My mom was okay, but was _I_ going to be okay? She and Phil were holed up safe somewhere, and I knew that I was _far_ from safe. I rapidly texted her back:

"I'll be okay, mom. I love you more than a million apple cinnamon scones."

I rolled under my duvet, balling up onto my side, and wishing for the first time...that I wasn't **_anywhere near_** here. What had the world come to?


	15. Chapter 15

**15\. Old Friends**

The muted light of another cloudy day streamed through my window and eventually woke me. I laid in bed with my arm draped across my eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break through into my consciousness. I moaned and rolled onto my other side, hoping more sleep would come and whisk me back into my pleasant slumber. Suddenly, the previous day flooded back into my awareness.

"Oh!" I sat up so fast it made my head spin. A wave a dizziness washed over me before I snapped out of it. It was Sunday today.

I trudged to the bathroom, my emotions unrecognizable. I didn't quite know myself, inside or out right now. The face in the mirror was practically a stranger now – the knowledge of possible disasters reflected in my haggard gaze. After I brushed my teeth, I worked to straighten out the tangled chaos that was my hair. I splashed my face with cold water, and tried to breathe normally, with no noticeable success.

"Breakfast time," I muttered to myself. I pulled on my best smile on and did my best to think about something else other than my possible doom. I didn't want to pull my dad down into my morose thoughts, if I could help it.

The kitchen was overly bright today as I entered. I saw my dad flipping pancakes and I genuinely smiled. At least I could count on my dad not to change, even as the world around me did.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked as pleasantly as I could, plopping down into a chair.

My dad looked over his shoulder and chuckled before handing me a plate with some smiling pancakes, eggs and fat slices of ham, "Something you'll like."

I sat at the table and dug into my food, happily stuffing myself with food, "Thanks, dad." You could always count on good ole' dad to comfort me with my favorite foods.

He made a plate for himself and nodded whistling as he did so, "You're very welcome, snuggle bug."

We ate breakfast in a companionable silence until my dad broke it by saying he had another 'overtime' case to do again. The disappearances kept happening and started moving higher into Seattle for some reason. I shivered internally and wondered if it was the same vampire that could be trailing me. He left straight after breakfast while I got ready for the rest of my day. I changed into a sturdy pair of jeans and a t-shirt, before slipping on my Katniss boots and my anorak. I pulled on my backpack, just in case, before I went to my truck.

I drove quickly through the now storm cloud darkened woods that led down to La Push from our house. I needed a break from all this crazy.

My godfather's house was familiar, a small wooden place with narrow windows, and the dull red paint made it resemble a tiny barn. I had spent more than a good chunk of every summer here for a _very_ long time. It honestly felt like a second home by now. Jacob's head peered out of one of the front windows before I could even get out of the truck. No doubt the familiar roar of my behemoth's engine had tipped him off to my approach.

I parked and jumped out of my truck, meeting me halfway to the house. Jacob shot me a shit eating grin, "Eliza!" His straight bright teeth stood out against the vivid contrast of his deep russet color of his skin. Had he been tanning again? I thought uncle Billy told him to stop doing that. I noted that he had recently cut his hair off into a close shave. It suited him. Made him look less like a beatnik.

"Hey, Jacob!" I happily squeezed his torso.

He laughed, patted my back and stood a few feet away from me, and I stared up at him in surprise.

"You grew again!" I accused in amazement. Damn beanstalk. I wish I would keep growing too.

He laughed, his smile widening impossibly. "Six six now," he announced with self-satisfaction.

"Is it ever going to stop?" I shook my head in disbelief. "You're huge," I poked his torso. He looked like he even started working out. I idly wondered if I should work out too.

He grimaced, "Stop that and come inside! The rain looks like it's gonna start and you're gonna get all wet."

I rolled my eyes at his statement and followed after him, walking into his house. It smelled of pine, fresh bread, tobacco, and something sweet. I grinned to myself, it felt nice to be back here.

"Hey, dad," he called out and trapped me into a head lock. I squirmed as he barked out a laugh, "Look who stopped by."

Uncle Billy was in the tiny square living room, a book in his hands. He set the book down onto his lap and wheeled himself forward when he saw me, "Well, what do you know! It's good to see you, Chippewa."

Jacob let go of me and I scrambled away from him, glaring. I grinned at my godfather and brought him into a tight hug, "Good to see you too, uncle Billy."

He patted my shoulder and asked, "What brings you out here?"

I leaned on the back of my heels while I rubbed the back of my neck, "I just wanted to see my favorite godbrother and my friends - I haven't seen them in forever."

Jacob's eyes brightened at my words. He was smiling so big it looked like it would hurt his cheeks. It made me slightly suspicious, since every time he smiled like that he had a half-baked plan bouncing in his head.

"Can you stay for dinner?" uncle Billy asked. I really hoped he was making baked salmon and baked potatoes tonight. I loved it when he made those. They tasted _so_ good.

I enthusiastically nodded, "Sure. My dad was talking about coming over here for dinner a little while ago, but I don't think he remembered."

My godfather barked out a laugh, shaking his head, "I'll call him now to remind him."

I grinned, "Thanks uncle Billy."

He smiled and nodded as he took out his phone to call my dad.

"So, Eliza, what do you want to do?" Jacob asked, letting his forearms rest on his head.

"Whatever. What were you doing before I interrupted?" I asked stretching out my arms above my head.

Jacob tilted his head and hesitantly said, "I was about to work on my car, but we can do something else..."

"No, that's perfect!" I interrupted. "I'd love to see your car," This meant I could see whether or not he needed that part. I was still waffling about what to get him for his birthday.

"Okay," he said shrugging.

I waved at uncle Billy, "See you later!" He nodded at the both of us, as he kept talking to my dad over the phone.

Jacob and I walked to his garage as the rain misted down. A thick bunch of trees and shrubbery concealed his garage from the house. The garage was no more than a couple of big preformed sheds that had been bolted together with their interior walls knocked out. Under this shelter, raised on cinder blocks, was the Volkswagen he was currently working on.

I walked around the car, inspecting its exterior, "How's it going?"

"Almost finished," he said cheerfully. "All I need now is that master cylinder," he sighed and patted the hood of his car.

I grinned, "If you can wait until summer, I'll get it for your birthday."

Jacob barked out a laugh, "Sure. I can wait."

He worked under the hood of his car for a while as I steadily held onto a flashlight. While he worked, Jacob chattered on happily, needing only the lightest of nudges from me to keep the conversation rolling. I liked hearing about how well, and _normal_ his life seemed to be. He updated me on the progress of his senior year at his school, about his classes, Quil and Embry.

"Hey, where do you think Quil and Embry got their names? I've never really bothered to ask before," I asked cracking my back. I let out a happy sigh as it popped and cracked in just the right way.

Jacob chuckled and wiped away some oil that had gotten onto his forehead, "Quil's is a hand-me-down name, and I think Embry got named after a soap opera star. I can't say anything, though. They fight dirty if you start on their names - they'll tag team you."

"Psh. My name is a hand-me-down name too. I'm named Elizabeth after my grandmother. Before that, every first born girl was named Elizabeth," I stated, playfully poking his cheek.

Jacob raised a brow and whistled, "Wow. So like the Queen of England?"

I let out a loud laugh, "Nah. Not as great as her. The same sort of naming pattern though."

"Huh. Neat. My mom named me after the brand of wheetameal crackers that she ate throughout her entire pregnancy," Jacob sighed and a sad smile tugged onto his lips. Aunt Sarah had died a while ago, but it still hurt to think about her sometimes. I wondered if she really died in a car accident too, or if she died like my grandparents.

I nodded and patted his shoulder, "Neat."

"Right?" a goofy grin slid onto his face as he continued working on his car.

I tilted my head as an hour passed by, "Hey, do you think we could go over to Quil's and play another round of Mario Kart? Or Smash Bros?"

"Sure, sure," Jacob smiled. He finished up what he was doing, "I understand that this isn't the most interesting thing. Thanks for letting me finish what I was doing though."

"Nah. I'm glad to spend time with you doing whatever usually, but I really want to zone out playing video games with you guys," I stated sheepishly.

"Swee-eet idea," he made the word into two syllables, and laughed.

His eyes sparkled, "I'm so going to beat you losers this time." He started tidying up and I rolled his eyes at him. I heard footsteps and turned towards the open garage door.

Jacob turned and raised a brow, "Speak of the devils."

"Jake? Are you out here?" Quil called out.

"Yeah!" Jacob shouted back, and wiped the oil off his hands with his shirt. I made a face at him. That was a nice shirt. I mentally noted that I could also probably get him a new shirt for his birthday.

We waited through the short silence until our two childhood friends strolled around the corner into the garage.

Embry was pretty slender now, and almost as tall as Jacob. His black hair was chin-length and parted down the middle, one side tucked behind his left ear while the right side swung free. He had shorter hair the last time I saw him. I guess he really did mean it when he said he wanted to grow it out.

Quil was presently shorter than Embry and my godbrother, but he was _definitely_ taller than me. He had filled out some and had become more burly since the last time I had seen him. His hair was still in a perpetual state of bedhead. It was one of the many things that I found endearing about him. I didn't have the guts to say that out loud though.

Both boys stopped short when they saw me. Embry let out an exuberant laugh and pulled out his hand for a high five, "Lizzy!"

I rolled my eyes at Embry, a smile tugging on my lips despite my minute irritation. I hated that nickname, but he refused to call me anything else since he didn't consider Eliza a good enough alternative. I hopped up and slapped his hand with more strength than I needed, "Embry!"

The easy smile on his face never left as he shook his reddened hand when Jacob grappled Embry into a headlock which caused them to scuffle for a while. That greeting never changed between the two of them, even as children.

A slow smile spread across Quil's face when I glanced up at him. I smiled in response, and in return he winked at me. I let out a ridiculous laugh and engulfed him in a tight hug. The butterflies in my stomach swirled, but I willed them away. I didn't need that right now.

He pulled me off the floor and squeezed me gently, "Hi, there shorty." I breathed in his scent and inwardly grinned. It wouldn't do for him to know how much I enjoyed these hugs though. I wouldn't want Jacob breathing down our necks, again.

I snorted and stuck my tongue out as he let me back down onto the ground, "Hey, Quil. We were just going to head to your house to challenge you guys via your Wii."

Quil rose his brow and tilted his head, "Really now?"

I smiled, a slight flush sprawling on my cheeks, "Yeah." Did this count as flirting?

He impishly grinned, "Sure. You're on, Kites." His hand wandered down to the small of my back and I bit back a squeal. These little moments only ever really happened when Jacob was otherwise distracted. That wouldn't be for long though. It never was.

We headed over to Quil's house and the boys excitedly chatted about what I may have missed since I had last been here. Jacob was apparently on the honor roll, which surprised me since he kept putting off everything to the last minute. Jared had gotten a girlfriend named Karen. I thought that was pretty sweet even though I didn't really know Jared. Sam had dumped Leah for her cousin, which I thought was a pretty scumbag thing to do. The boys silently agreed with me on that. I didn't really want to judge any of the people they mentioned though since I wasn't that close with all of them. I only really cared about how Jacob, Embry, and Quil were doing since I had last seen them. I was incredibly relieved to find out that Quil still hadn't gotten a girlfriend, even if my godbrother teased him about it.

At certain times, Embry would nudge Quil's arm and he, in turn, would flush and grin. I rolled my eyes at him as he pulled me into a side hug as we continued walking. Jacob smiled in delight as Embry cracked a rude joke. Quil grinned widely at Embry's form of distraction and whispered something under his breath. Jacob's hand flashed out to smack the back of Quil's head. I shook my head at them. Some things never changed.

When we finally made it Quil's house, we were all pretty damp from the rain. We all toweled off and played games for hours in his warm living room until my dad called to say that he was already at uncle Billy's house. Jacob and I had beat Quil and Embry at Mario Kart, but they had smashed us in Smash Bros. Quil's mom snuck me some sweets before we left. I sucked on the maple toffee that I had gotten as Jacob and I ran back to his house. The rain was pouring down in buckets by now, but Quil had luckily let us borrow his spare umbrellas. He was always sweet and prepared like that.

Jacob shook like a dog when we made it back to his house. I glared at him and shook off the water that clung onto my coat as well. He narrowed his eyes at me before we both burst out into loud laughter.

My dad strolled around the corner from the kitchen. His brow rose at the sight of us still dripping wet even though we had umbrellas. He sighed and shot me an expectant look, "Well?"

"Hey, dad. It's raining harder now," I flashed him a grin and deposited our sodden umbrellas onto the little bucket by the door.

Jacob tilted his head and beamed as he shed his coat, "Hiya, uncle Charlie. Nice weather we're having, am I right?"

He rolled his eyes as he chuckled slightly before he mussed up my hair and sighed, "Stop loitering around the doorway and get dry enough to have dinner. Come on. You're both _late_."

Uncle Billy popped his head from the kitchen arch and smiled, "I made salmon and baked potatoes."

I scrambled to dry myself off faster while Jacob barked out a laugh. Soon enough, we were both dried and ready to eat. My dad had brought over another set of warm dry clothes for me when he came down. I could always depend on my dad like that.

We sat around their dark maple table and all but gobbled down the delicious meal that uncle Billy made. The conversation around the table was happy and light, but I had noted that my dad and uncle Billy always steered the conversation away from my dad's work. Worry sparked in my chest. Was something horrible happening? Were they were trying to protect us from it by not saying anything? I buried my suspicions when my dad had us talking about how we beat Embry and Quil at our favorite game.

After dinner, Jacob and I cleaned up the kitchen, and ended up doing our homework slowly in front of the TV while my dad and uncle Billy watched a hockey game. After the game was finished my dad decided it was time for us to go home.

My dad pulled on his jacket and patted uncle Billy's back, "Thanks for having us, Billy."

He smiled and nodded, "You two are always welcome here. You're family."

I engulfed him into a tight hug and heard him whisper, "If danger comes, just run here." I nodded. I didn't quite get it, but I would do so any ways. La Push had always been a safe haven for me.

My dad patted Jacob's back and I hugged him after. He smiled and tilted his head, "We'll see you tomorrow?"

I looked over to my dad, "Dad?"

He looked out into the distant trees, at something only he could see, before he nodded, "Yeah. Tomorrow."

I smiled. I was looking forward to hanging out with them again tomorrow. When we got home, I realized that I was exhausted. As I climbed the stairs, I felt the last of my exuberant energy from earlier drain away. My legs ached again and I sighed. I took a T3 as soon as I reached my room, and after I got ready for bed, I took out the android phone my mom gave me and dialed her number.

I heard it ring a few times before I heard my mom's sleepy voice, "Hello, hun?"

I grinned, "Hey, mom. I had good day today. What do I do now?

I heard her musical laughter at the other end of the line, "Stay safe? Heal up, and stay out of trouble. Have more good days. I really wish your grandmother was here. She knew how to really fight them. I only knew how to run."

I flopped onto my bed and stared up at my ceiling debating on what I _should_ say. I quietly hummed before asking, "Should I come back to Phoenix?"

My mom sighed, a frustrated sound escaped from her, "I thought of that too, but you probably came back to Forks for a _reason_. There are no coincidences in life. You have to remember that, darling. Especially, if you still want to be a cop. It certainly has to be a better reason than those stupid-ass punks trying to kill you. That seems odd now too, when I think about it. The world is getting strange, but just try to stay happy and brave, _for me_. Okay?"

I closed my eyes and let my arm flop over them, "Yeah. Yeah I guess you're right...about all of it. I will. I think that uncle Billy knows that it's more dangerous here than it seems. Nobody up here in Forks believes him though. A lot of people believe in La Push and I think that's why he said that it's safe there."

I heard my mom snort out a laugh, "Yeah. La Push has always been a safe place for our family. Ignorance of the magical world is more dangerous than people really believe. Billy has always been a smart cookie about that. I have work early at six am, honey. Call me again, okay? Good night. I love you more than anything and anyone. More than a million sparkly shoes."

I smiled and relaxed, "Okay. I love you more than a million apple cinnamon scones. Good night."

The line went dead and I sighed. I tucked the phone near me and stared at my ceiling. What was I supposed to do now?

I squeezed my eyes shut and...the next thing I next I knew, it was morning. I'd slept through the whole night without dreaming again. I stared at the warm light that seeped through my curtains. I peeked through the window and saw that it was surprisingly sunny again today. Huh. That meant that the Cullens and Hales wouldn't be at school today. I shrugged and got ready for the day.

My dad was surprisingly absent at breakfast today, but he had still made me something to eat before he left. I gobbled it up, happy that my dad still squeezed in some time to take care of me even with his busy schedule.

At school I intently took notes and took in my normal school day. I didn't know how long it would take before everything blew up in my face, but I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

Jessica looked up at me when I sat down next to her in class. She flashed me a grin and kept hurriedly writing in her notebook. I think she had procrastinated on doing our assignment again.

"Hey, Jess," I said taking out my textbook, pencil, and notebook. I tilted my head and curiously asked, "How was your weekend?" Most of my Forks friends had been busy at either the dance, Sunday, or both.

She thoughtfully hummed and simply stated, "The dance was pretty fun, but on Sunday I had to help out at my mother's diner again. I don't know why she couldn't just hire more people instead of making me do it." She shrugged as if to say 'what can you do?'.

She finished off something she was writing before impishly grinning at me, "How'd _your_ weekend go?"

I laughed, "Edward and I went to Seattle to pick up a package from my mom that got waylaid. The conversation was okay, awkward, but okay. I think we're friends now, as strange as that sounds. Oh! I got to hang out with my godbrother and our childhood friends too. I missed them."

Classes flew by and soon we were all eating and chatting at our full lunch table.

Mike and Conner talked about sports, Lee and Sam made googly eyes at one another, and I felt myself relax at the easy conversations that surrounded me.

"Where's Ben today?" Lauren asked Angela.

I subtly checked out Lauren's new hair. She had mentioned something about cutting it for the dance, but I honestly didn't think she'd go through with it. She cut off all her blonde corn-silk hair into a pixie cut so short that the back was shaved like a boy. It surprisingly suited her.

"Ben's got the stomach flu," Angela gently said. She tilted her head and ate a chicken nugget, "Hopefully it's just some twenty-four hour thing. He was really sick last night."

"What did you two do yesterday?" Jessica asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she happily sipped her soda.

Angela snorted out a laugh at her insinuation, and rolled her eyes before responding, "Ben and I were _supposed_ to have a picnic on Sunday...but we changed our minds." There was an edge to her voice that caught my attention. It sounded sharp and kind of scared.

Jessica frowned before hesitantly asking, "Why'd you change your mind?"

I tilted my head and munched on a fry, "Did something happen?"

"Was it something bad?" Lauren asked curiously, a frown marred her forehead.

"Well...," Angela hesitantly murmured, looking down at her half eaten food. She shot us a strained look, "...We drove up north towards the hot springs since there's a good spot just about a mile up the trail. When we were halfway there...we saw something."

"Saw something? What?" Lauren's voice wavered.

Jessica gulped loudly and I suddenly felt my mouth dry out. Oh my God. Oh my God.

"I don't know," Angela waved her hand and shook her head. She stared out into space for a second before muttering, "We think it was a bear. It was black, anyway, but it seemed...ginormous."

Lauren snorted, "Oh, not you, too!" She shook her head and shot Tyler a dirty look, "Tyler tried to sell me that one last week."

"You're not going to see any bears that close to the resort though," Jessica gently said, patting Angela's shoulder.

"We really saw one though," Angela protested, looking down at the table. She frowned and muttered, "We did see it. I _know_ it."

I sighed and ate another french fry, "No, she's right. My dad said that a lot of people have gone missing, or turn up looking like a bear mauled them."

There was a moment of silence. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare at me in shock. I wondered if I shouldn't have told them that. My dad didn't really say anything about not telling my friend about his case though.

Angela shot me a grateful look, but underneath her expression I noted a flash of fear. Jessica shivered at the possible implications and Lauren shot Tyler an apologetic look. Conner shoved some bread into his mouth and shook his head. The others looked seriously freaked out about that news.

Mike paled rapidly, "My moms' store is near the woods."

Samantha patted his shoulder gently, "Don't worry, Mike. They'll be fine."

Everyone nodded and tried their best to reassure Mike that his moms would be fine. I doubted that they would last long against hungry vampires though. I didn't dare say that out loud though.

Jessica let her head fall onto my shoulder as the conversation turned onto a lighter note. I let her rest her head on my shoulder as I continued eating my lunch. If they acted this way with bear maulings, how would they act if they knew the truth? I internally shook my head. No need to either cause mass panic, or make everyone think I was absolutely crazy.

"So, what did you do this weekend, Eliza?" Mike asked curiously.

"I spent most the day, Saturday, traveling to Seattle with Edward Cullen. Seattle's nice and really busy, but we didn't stay there long after I got the package my mom sent me. He is _not_ the best passenger in the world," I simply stated as I finished off the remnants of my food.

Ashley tilted her head, "I still can't believe he didn't try and _eat_ you or something. His family, and him, seem kind of scary." I almost choked on my drink when she said that.

Conner chipped in, "Yeah. You're a brave one, Kites." Laughter peppered through our table and I chuckled. Sure, I was braver, that or just very stupid.

Another topic popped up and soon we were all talking about a new movie that came out. It was a superhero movie I hadn't seen yet. When I got up to dump the trash on my tray, Angela followed after me.

"Thanks," she said in a low voice when we were away from the table.

I tilted my head at her, making my braid swing slightly, "For what?"

A small grin pulled at her lips, "Speaking up, sticking up for me."

"No problem," I patted her shoulder and smiled as the bell rang.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, and once school finished, the rain came down like water slopped from a bucket. I had to drive more slowly than I wanted to; I could hardly see a car length in front of the truck.

When I finally made it through the muddy lanes to Jacob's house, I was sick of driving. Before I'd killed the engine, the front door opened and Jacob came running out with a huge black umbrella.

He held it over my door while I opened it. He snickered at me, "Can't have you getting a cold, shortstop."

I warmly grinned at Jacob, flicking his forehead, "Thanks, meat-head."

We walked under the safety of the umbrella, and Jacob snorted, "That's what I get for being nice to you."

"Meh. If you keep calling me short, I'll have to come up with something to call you back," I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled, "I guess so." He held up his hand for a high five. I had to tiptoe just to slap his hand which made the jerk laugh.

Harry showed up just a few minutes after me to get uncle Billy. Apparently they all wanted to barbecue some steaks and found a guy who sold them cheap off of craigslist. I sighed internally and pinned this one on my dad. It sounded like something he would rope people into doing.

"So where to, godbrother of mine?" I asked after lounging around his living room for a while. We had finished up our home work and ate a tub of popcorn after all this vegging out. I was kind of bored now.

Jacob pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out. "We could go dumpster diving and see if we can get lucky. I don't know if Quil and Embry can come though," he warned me. "Those two got into trouble for roughhousing today. I don't know what is _up_ with Embry. He's been getting really aggressive. Same with Quil, and you _know_ that he's normally such a chill guy _._ "

I frowned, "Are they okay?"

Jacob shrugged, "I guess. Maybe it's just hormones or whatever. I'm not really sure."

I nodded and shrugged, "Okay. Lets go dumpster diving then. We'll just bring something back for them."

Jacob nodded as we went over to my truck. It didn't take too long to get to the dump, and I strangely enjoyed myself. I didn't really think that I would have fun there, but it was pretty cool. Especially since the guy there said if we found anything neat, we could keep it.

I was beginning to think it was mostly fun because of Jacob. He always made everything seem like an enjoyable game, it was one of the things I was sometimes jealous about. It was natural, a part of who he was. I couldn't do that, and I really didn't know how.

While we looked for treasure in the various dumpsters, he chattered on about our friends and his school. I happily listened as I pocketed a wet gift bag that seemed to hold some jewelry in it. I decided that this was one of my new favorite activities.

"I'm doing all the talking," he complained after a long story about Quil and the trouble he'd stirred up by releasing all the frogs in Biology. He pocketed a damp looking watch, and turned to me, "Why don't you take a turn? What's going on in Forks? It has to be more exciting than La Push."

"Wrong," I sighed. It wasn't more exciting, just dangerous. I squealed slightly when I found a sheathed samurai sword. It figured that there was pretty cool stuff here. It was the only dump in La Push and Forks. I shot him a look when he impatiently poked me, "There's really nothing that interesting. What happens here is more interesting than my school. Quil's gotten pretty funny." I spotted a decent pair of sunglasses and pocketed them. I'd just have to dry them, and I bet Embry would like 'em. I was going to give Quil the samurai sword. He loved collecting these kinds of things.

Soon enough the sun broke out between the slowly dispersing clouds. I shielded my eyes and stared at the rainbow that slowly appeared. This was nice.

He thoughtfully hummed and pulled out a pretty big box from underneath a couple garbage bags, "I think Quil still likes you."

I found a bow, like one of the ones from Mike's moms' store, "Of course he likes me. We're friends." I hoped that he wasn't going to bring _that_ topic up again.

Jacob frowned and stretched up, the box still in his grip, "Like really likes you."

I squinted up at him and let out a sarcastic snort, "Ya think?" I tested the bow out and found that it was still in okay condition. I showed it off to my godbrother, "Do you think I could be like Katniss with this thing?" I hoped that would be enough of a detour so we could stop talking about Quil and me in that way.

He laughed, rolling his eyes, "You know...he never shuts up about you every time you see him. And no, you'd never be hot enough to be Katniss, shorty."

My face soured, "Psh. It's not about being hot, it's about being as cool and capable as her." Drat.

Jacob shrugged as we walked away from the dumpster we were scavenging from, "You get my point."

I basked in the sunlight that streamed down through the clouds that were still littered in the sky, "Hey, Jacob?"

Jacob pulled out a decent looking frying pan out of a pile of trash nearby, "What?"

"If vampires were real...would you believe me?" I hesitantly asked.

He shot me a skeptical look, "Not really, but I would fully support you if you decided to become Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I don't think Quil would be okay with you wearing skimpy clothes around everyone like she did though."

"My clothes aren't skimpy," I sniffed in disdain.

Jacob nodded, "Yeah. I know, but Buffy's clothes were kind of...eh...you know." He happily pocketed a neat looking metal thermos.

I found a weird silicone toy thing that lit up and pocketed it. It was something my dad would probably like, "True, but I don't have to dress _like her_ to be a vampire slayer."

Jacob snorted out a laugh, "The day you become a vampire slayer, is the day those legends my dad keeps talking about come true." I froze in place as Jacob pulled out a dream catcher. I shook myself out of my stupor as we continued scavenging.

We bantered like that till we found something for everyone. Jacob felt confident that we got a pretty good haul. We loaded it up in the backseat of my trunk, opting not to chuck everything onto my truck bed since it was still wet.

By the time we got back to La Push, Billy, Harry and my dad weren't back yet, so we didn't have to be sneaky about unloading our days spoils. As soon as we had everything laid out on the plastic floor next to Jacob's toolbox, we started inspecting everything we found after cleaning it all. Sanitary wipes were awesome.

I pulled out the little boxes and sachets that were in the slightly damp gift bag. It turned out that there were a pair of earrings, a couple quirky pennants, and a locket on a long golden chain.

Jacob opened up the big black box he lugged back from the dump and opened it up. It contained ripped up photos of a couple, a pretty fancy looking laptop and charger, a snow globe of Paris, random bits of jewelry, a journal, and a bunch of other stuff. I let out a long whistle while we dug through it all. I guess it was someone's break up box. That's depressing. She probably should've burned the incriminating stuff, like her journal.

Quil and Embry showed up while we were trying to see if the laptop would turn on. It still had everything inside, so we had a pretty good shot at getting it to work.

Embry let out a woot when we gave him some of the stuff we found. Quil gave me a tight hug when I handed him the sword. He inspected it closely while Jacob and I fiddled with the laptop.

The rest of our day passed too quickly. It got dark outside the mouth of the garage before I was expecting it, and then we heard uncle Billy calling for us, "KIDS!" The laptop finally turned on and I let out a triumphant squeal. Jacob smugly looked at the laptop and closed it. I guess he was going to work on it later it. It was the best find today, in my opinion.

Our heads snapped up as uncle Billy's familiar voice wafted through the trees. My dad called out to us as well, "Come back to the house!" He sounded closer than the house.

"Coming!" I yelled towards the house. We divided up all the stuff we wanted for ourselves and ran out of the garage.

"Let's go," Jacob smiled. Despite the path, we were all tripping over our feet in the darkness. So we were also laughing when the house came into view.

My dad was standing under the little back porch, and uncle Billy sat in the doorway behind them.

"Hey, Dad," Jacob and I both said at the same time, and that started us laughing again.

Quil snorted and smiled, "Hey, Chief, and Chief."

Embry grinned, "Yo!"

"Dinner's done," he stated in an amused tone.

"My super secret recipe for spaghetti. Handed down for generations," my godfather said gravely.

Jacob snorted shaking his head, "I don't think Ragu has actually been around that long." I chortled inwardly. I doubted it.

The house was crowded when we spilled into the house. Harry Clearwater brought his family; his wife, Sue, and his two kids, Seth and Leah. Leah was on uncle Billy's phone when we got in, and she never let it go. Seth was fourteen this year, and he hung onto Jacob's every word with idolizing eyes.

There were far too many of us for the kitchen table, so my dad and Harry brought chairs out to the yard. A bunch of us ate spaghetti off plates on our laps in the dim light from uncle Billy's open door. The men talked about the game, and made fishing plans. Sue teased her husband about his cholesterol and tried, unsuccessfully, to shame him into eating something green and leafy. Jacob talked mostly to me, Quil, Embry and Seth, who interrupted eagerly whenever Jacob seemed to forget him.

It was loud and sometimes confusing as everyone talked over everyone else, and the laughter from one joke interrupted the telling of another. I didn't have to speak often and I smiled a lot. I enjoyed the warm atmosphere so much, that I didn't want to leave.

This was Washington though, and the inevitable rain eventually broke up our party; uncle Billy's living room was much too small to provide an option for continuing the get-together. Harry had driven my dad down, so we rode together in my truck on the way back home. He asked about my day, and I told him about how fun dumpster diving had been. I showed off my new found treasures, and he ended up really liking the weird toy I got for him.

"You think you'll visit again anytime soon?" he asked as we drove home.

"Tomorrow after school," I admitted. I shot him a cheeky grin, "I'll take my homework down with me and finish off my chores, don't worry."

"You be sure to do that," he ordered, a warm smile tugging on his lips. This was how it was like every summer, and I think my dad missed that.

Before I plopped down onto my bed, I gulped down a T3 and called my mom.

"Hey, honey. How was your day?" her voice sounded warm and I swear I could hear her smiling on the other end of the line.

"Good. I spent some more time down at La Push. We had one of those big gatherings, just eating, joking, and having a good time. Uncle Billy made his fantastic spaghetti, and I got to dumpster dive! I found a bunch of neat stuff. How was your day?" I babbled on excitedly.

My mom's laughter rang out from the other end, "That sounds like a pretty great day. Phil is now a coach, I have quit _both_ my jobs and have gone into being a blog writer for this strange company. I can't say what they do, but they give me more job security than my last two jobs. Oh! I'm _also_ sending a package to you. Phil and I have paid it to be expressed delivered, so you won't have to travel to Seattle again."

"That's great, mom. What's in the package though?" I raised an eyebrow and rolled onto my stomach.

She hummed thoughtfully, "I had some connections from your grandmother and called on them. I packed up a blessed knife, gun, bullets, bow and arrows for you. Just in case. Your grandmother really didn't leave a manual as to how to effectively kill vampires, but I figure that it's better for you to have them than not to."

I blinked rapidly and sat up. I sat there silently for a long moment before responding, "Isn't it illegal to have all that stuff in Washington?" I'm pretty sure there were strict gun laws around here.

She laughed, "Oh honey. I paid extra to get them charmed to be _unnoticeable_. On that note though, don't go crazy and try to shoot everything. Also, always aim for the head. They don't really have beating hearts."

I shook my head, "This is all really crazy."

She sighed, "I know. I thought I could spare you from this, but it turns out I was wrong. At the end of the day, I just want you to be safe...even if you _have to_ use some weapons. I wouldn't ask your father about any training though. He'd just freak. It'd be better to just apologize after, in this case. He never believed in the paranormal, and I think he was happier that way."

I sighed, "Okay, soooo...what do I do with it all?"

"You _defend_ yourself, silly. Didn't one of your, um, childhood friends know self defense? The shorter one! His name was like a writing utensil," my mom stated absentmindedly.

I flushed, "His name is Quil, mom. Quil. It's a family name, like Elizabeth. I think he knows self defense, but I don't think he knows how to use a gun. Only dad really knows how and _maybe_ uncle Billy, but I don't know if he'd be okay with teaching me behind dad's back." I fiddled with the idea of Quil showing me how to shoot. Wouldn't that be romantic?

She let out an irritated huff, "This is your survival, honey. I know you wanna be polite and nice about this entire thing, but you're in _**danger**_. Being polite about things, has no place here."

I puffed out my cheeks, "Fine. I'm going to go to bed, mom."

"Will you think about it? The package should be there by morning," she chipped in.

I combed my hand through my hair and clucked my tongue against the roof of my mouth before replying, "Yeah. I love you mom."

I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "I love you too, baby girl. Stay safe." The line died and I stared at my ceiling again for the umpteenth time. I suppose...my world was going to continue to change whether I wanted it to or not.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Thank you to the people that read, favorited, and followed this story.

 **Debbie Hicks:** When I first saw your review, I went 'the hell?' and laughed. I still look at it and go through the same thing. The upcoming chapters aren't going to be like that, but I think that's a pretty cool parody way to go about it. The crazy weird funny parodies out there, in regards to Twilight, are quite neat. It was kind of hard to read without any periods though.

I doubt that she doesn't have body hair though. That would be really weird, even as far as parodies go. It would've been cool if she were really this god-like thing that was a thousand years old sent to fuck with people, but alas, she is not.

 **TwilightEclps:** Thank you for your kind review! You are awesome. c:

 **16\. Another La Push Visit**

When the silver of the morning light woke me up, I groaned. I had really hoped that it would be glaringly sunny again tonight. Not because I wanted to avoid Edward and his coven, but more so whoever was tracking me would back off. Possibly tracking me? I wasn't too sure actually.

The paranoia I felt when I opened my mom's newest package shook me to my core. The weapons she sent me glowed a faint blue and were intricately designed with golden vines along their handles. She had also shipped me a holster for the knife, and gun. I sighed. I knew how to load and clean a gun because that was the only thing that my dad had let me do. I slung on the holster and covered it up with my chunky sweater. I considered leaving the knife behind for a moment before changing my mind. Strapping it onto my lower leg made me feel surprisingly secure. The bow and arrows looked gorgeous, but since I didn't really know how to use them, they seemed like a useless decoration. Besides, I wasn't trying to be Katniss and take down a government for the betterment of society. I was just trying not to die via vampire bite.

I continued my morning routine without any pause, and breakfast with my dad was nice and normal. School was distinctly different from yesterday. Edward and his coven were at school again since the clouds had run the sun out of the sky today. He had somehow cajoled me into promising to meet his family and spend some time with them by playing baseball in a couple days. A thunder storm was apparently coming our way, and it seemed like the perfect weather for a game, in their opinion. I reluctantly agreed after he had glumly stated that I had been neglecting him. It probably would've been worse if he knew our familial relation. I still didn't know how to tell him. It seemed as awkward as hell to me, so I left that problem alone for now. I still had time.

After school I headed straight over to La Push, where he and any other vampire couldn't follow. I wish I knew how they did that with their boarders. It could've been the blue glowing poles that bordered their lands, but I wasn't too sure. I definitely wanted to ask, but the possible repercussions of my questions pulled me back from doing so.

When I drove down, I met Quil walking over to Jacob's house. I waved him over for a ride, and he gladly jumped in. He cheekily grinned at me, winking, "Hey, doll face."

I smiled rolling my eyes, a blush tinting my face, "Hey, Quil. On your way to Jacob's?"

He settled into his seat after pulling me into a tight hug. He nodded, "Yeah. Me and him are going to work on a couple motorcycles we found at the dump. They were real beauties. It's good practice for the future." He eyed me warily, "You're not allowed on them though. Not since..."

I managed to let out a bitter laugh, "You seriously think I _ever_ want to ride one of those scary things after the whole Phoenix debacle?" I shook my head vehemently before resolutely saying, "Never again."

Quil let out a relieved sigh, "That's good. I wouldn't know what to do if you insisted. I've always had trouble saying no to you." I grinned inwardly at his statement. This would mean a definite yes to the self defense training.

"So if I asked for some self defense lessons, both with and without weapons, would you say yes?" I hedged hesitantly.

Quil let out a whistle, "When you ask like that. I have to say yes. I do wanna know if you're being bullied again, Elizabeth." A dark frown slipped onto his face.

I shook my head adamantly, "No. It wasn't like before, Quil. I'm okay on that front. The folks here are much nicer than the ones that I knew in the 'big city'. I just need to know how to fight, should I ever need to defend myself."

He let out a barking laugh, "The kitten _finally_ has claws. Tell you what, I'll even teach you how to shoot."

I shot him a bewildered look as the Black house came to view, "You know how to shoot?" How was I, a kitten? The one time you pretend to be a cat when you're little. Jesus. I shot him an irritated glance.

Quil rolled his eyes at me, "You know you like it, and as for the shooting part...well how do you think we get meat over here? Sure we have a couple decently sized farms, but most of our meat comes from local hunting parties. We certainly don't use bows and arrows like that anymore. Unless we're catching birds."

"Okay. Thanks, Quil. I appreciate it," I grinned at him gratefully. This meant I didn't have to force my godfather to go behind my dad's back. Perfect.

"We'll start with the theory on Tuesday, and go from there. How's that sound?" he asked as he stretched out in his seat. His shirt lifted up and revealed a patch of his lower abdomen. A trail of hair traveled down into his pants and I whipped my head away from the sight of it. My heart raced for a moment as I tried to concentrate on the road again.

I cleared my suddenly dry throat and nodded, "Perfect. It sounds perfect. We can go to my place for that, since it should be safe enough."

"Sure," he said amicably as he settled back into his seat. A half smile tugged at his lips and I felt my heart ache just a little. God damn it.

We parked closer to the garage than the house today. I spotted Jacob waving, and when we got out Jacob led the way to his garage after we had exchanged our usual greetings. Uncle Billy grinned at me from the porch, waving me away when I silently offered to spend sometime with him.

Quil bumped Jacob's shoulder with his fist, "Finished our bikes overnight?"

Jacob rolled his eyes good naturally, "Nope. Not yet."

"Please let me know when I start getting on your nerves. I don't want to be a pain just cause I'm excited," Quil muttered sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay," Jacob laughed throatily, "I wouldn't hold your breath for that, though."

I looped my arm around Quil's waist and patted his back, "You're enthusiasm's a good thing."

A slight flush reigned his face as he murmured, "Thanks."

When we walked into the garage, I was shocked to see two red bikes standing up, looking like motorcycles rather than the piles of jagged metal that I had assumed they were. Well damn.

"Jake, you're amazing," I breathed out, taking it all in.

Quil huffed and got Jacob into a headlock, despite their size difference, "You liar. They look great. Did you stay up all night again?"

He chortled and escaped from Quil's hold, "I get obsessive when I have a project."

Quil inspected the bikes, as Jacob stood back smugly smiling at his work.

I patted my godbrother's back, "Good job, beanstalk."

He looked down, and rolled his eyes, "Thanks, short stop."

Quil let out an ecstatic laugh, "You did beyond _good_ _,_ man. We could have these running in no time. Eliza, you don't know how these clunkers looked before, but now they actually look workable."

Jacob smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. He sat down next to the bike and picked up a wrench, "So you think I can start up an auto shop here in the future?"

"Is that what you meant?" I tilted my head towards Quil's direction as the two boys started up working on the bikes that they had recently acquired.

Quil and Jacob looked up from their work. Quil smiled, making his eyes look like an upside down c. Jacob shot him a surprised look before nodding, "Yeah. It's one of our goals in life. Why not turn our hobby into something beneficial, right?

I nodded, "Right."

I chatted with them while they fixed up their bikes, but I mostly felt that I was intruding in on their bonding. I eventually ended up leaving earlier than I had anticipated. Quil promised me that he'd see me tomorrow night, which prompted Jacob into scowling deeply at him. Unfortunately.

When I got home I found that my dad had finished work at a decent time. To celebrate, we ordered a pizza and watched funny parodies on Netflix. It was nice having _some_ bonding time with my dad. The disappearances kept him busy with work, _all the time_.

I did my homework, finished up my chores, and went through my nightly routine before going to bed.

The first half of Tuesday had its ups and downs. School was normal and predictable, as far as I thought anyway. The dance party at my place kept getting pushed back, but I didn't really mind. I kind of only wanted to do it until this whole, a possible vampire trying to kill me, thing blew over. I was really hoping that it could just blow over. Having weapons strapped on me at all times, felt uncomfortable. It also made me more paranoid about getting caught. I silently thanked God that there wasn't really any security like there had been at my school back in Phoenix.

My dad didn't seem the smallest bit surprised to find Quil and me sprawled across the living room floor with books scattered around us, so I guessed that uncle Billy had overheard Quil's plan for coming over. I ended up making burritos for me, Quil, and my dad, for dinner. I think I made a little too much, but I figured that Quil could take some leftovers back home for his mom and grandfather along with Jacob and uncle Billy when he went home.

During dinner, my dad joined in on our conversation about gun maintenance, and the about the pros and cons about using it. I asked him about how his work was, to try and divert any suspicions of me even being near a gun. He wasn't able to find anyone responsible for the missing people, as of yet. I doubted that whoever was doing this was a human, although you never did know.

We ended up talking about our favorite monsters throughout history while my dad washed up the dishes. Vampires had come up, and I couldn't help, but stare at my dad strangely for the rest of the night. Did he know? Or was I being overly paranoid?

Quil ended up taking a bunch of left overs home, just as I had predicted. Before he left, he reminded me to come back down to the Rez on Friday. I think this was when I was actually going to learn how to shoot. I idly wondered if I was going to miss and accidentally kill a bird. Stranger things had happened though, so that was a distinct possibility.

The days blurred past and soon it was Friday after school. The only _real_ sour note on my impending weekend was Saturday since I was going to have to watch Edward's coven play baseball. I cleaned out the house and tended to the garden after I finished up my homework.

I sighed and tried to shake off my latest nightmare. Last night I had wandered in a wide sea of ferns interspersed with huge hemlock trees. There was nothing else there but shadows, and I was lost, wandering aimless and alone. I kept seeing flashes of red hair, and hearing odd hissing. It was disturbing to say the least.

I figured that I had done enough cleaning, and threw the cleaning supplies under the bathroom counter before grabbing my anorak. I jumped into my truck and drove down the road towards La Push. During the drive, Quil called me to tell me that Jacob wanted to participate and that we would be practicing further inland. I frowned inwardly. I didn't really want to pull my godbrother into my shenanigans, but I shrugged. I couldn't really stop him even if I tried. Well...there goes any romance in teaching me how to shoot. Damn.

I parked my truck off to the side of Jacob's house, close to the trees, to make it easier for them to hop in. Both boys clambered into my truck. Jacob called shotgun, which apparently meant that Quil was stuck riding in the back seat.

"Ready?" Quil asked in a low voice, his eyes sparkling. I could see that he had a duffle bag of, who knows what, in the backseat with him.

"Yeah," I said, but I didn't feel quite as excited as before. I tried to imagine myself actually shooting something, and it left a foul taste in my mouth. I really had to get over this hiccup if I ever wanted to be a cop. A cop not being able to shoot...psh...that would be absurd.

Jacob rolled his eyes at me and grinned, "Let's go. I know the perfect spot - no one will catch us there."

With Jacob's directions we drove south out of town. The dirt road wove in and out of the forest. Sometimes there were nothing but trees along both sides of the road, but then there would suddenly be a breathtaking glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, reaching to the horizon, dark gray under the clouds. We drove above the shore, on top of the cliffs that bordered the beach. The view around us seemed to stretch on forever.

We parked a good ways away from the edge and the boys set up targets near the cliffs. It was a nice looking place. I bet this would've been the best place for a romantic picnic. I smothered the wistful sigh that threatened to escape out of me. I supposed that there would always be a next time. Right?

I leaned against my truck and stared at the boys as they set up the targets that had been tucked away in Quil's duffle bag. The three targets swayed slightly against the cool ocean breeze.

Quil smirked at me, "Do you remember how?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah. I also looked up on how to shoot on YouTube." I didn't really know how good that information would be for me though.

Jacob barked out a laugh and shoved my shoulder gently, "Here. I'll go first, and you can watch. How's that?"

I enthusiastically nodded, "Sure." I didn't think I would get cold feet about this, but I couldn't help myself.

Jacob loaded his shotgun, took aim and shot the first target dead center. Quil let out an appreciative whistle and patted Jacob's shoulder. Jacob puffed out his chest and smugly grinned before handing me the gun.

It felt weirdly heavy in my arms and I shook slightly. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and turned to spot Quil giving me an encouraging look. I glanced past him and found that my godbrother was giving me two thumbs up. I rolled my eyes at him and was about to turn to try and shoot the targets when I noticed four figures standing on a rocky ledge, much too close to the precipice. I couldn't tell from the distance how old they were, but I assumed they were all men. Despite the chill in the air today, they seemed to be wearing only shorts. The tallest person stepped closer to the brink.

I lowered my gun and blatantly stared as he threw himself off the edge.

"No!" I shouted, throwing down my gun. I raced towards the edge of the cliff.

Quil and Jacob scrambled after me. Jacob yelled out, alarm clearly coloring his voice, "What's wrong?!"

Quil grabbed my shoulders and pulled me far away from the edge, "Jesus! Don't get too close."

I shook my head at the two of them and pointed at where I had seen the man fall off the cliff, "A guy just _jumped_ off the cliff! We've got to call an ambulance!" I shook Quil's hands off of my shoulders and started to pull out my phone.

Jacob laughed, and I spun to stare at him wildly. How could he be so calloused, so cold-blooded? I glared at him. Quil let out a sheepish laugh and patted my shoulder, "They're just cliff diving, Eliza. Recreation. La Push doesn't have a mall, you know."

"Cliff diving?" I repeated, dazed. I stared in disbelief as a second figure stepped to the edge, paused, and then very gracefully leaped into space. He fell for what seemed like an eternity to me, finally cutting smoothly into the dark undulating waves below.

"It's about a hundred feet down, but most of us jump from a lower cliff. See that rock over there? The one that juts out from the cliff about halfway. That's where _sane_ people jump," Jacob pointed out, nodding all the while. The place he indicated did seem much more reasonable.

Quil snorted and shot them a derisive look, "Those guys are insane. Probably showing off how tough they are. I mean, _really_ , it's freezing today. That water can't feel good."

I nodded and hummed, "So do you guys jump off the cliff too?"

"Sure, sure," Jacob shrugged and grinned impishly.

Quil barked out a laugh, "It's fun. A little scary, kind of a rush."

I looked back at the cliffs, where the third figure was pacing the edge. I'd never witnessed anything so reckless in all my life. I watched, fascinated, as another boy made a running start and flung himself farther into the empty air than the other two. He twisted and cartwheeled through space as he fell, like he was skydiving. He looked absolutely free - unthinking and utterly irresponsible.

"Are we going to try out the shooting range we built, or not?" Jacob demanded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh...okay," I numbly stated, tearing my eyes away from the last person waiting on the cliff. I picked up the shotgun and aimed for the same target that Jacob shot. It hit the edge of the target, no where near the center. I would definitely had to put some time into practicing if I wanted to be a better shot.

I handed off the gun to Quil and murmured, "So who were those guys - the crazy ones?"

Quil made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat, "The La Push _gang_." Jacob snorted and shook his head staring out into the open skies.

"You guys have a _gang_ down here?" I warily asked. I didn't realize that happened around reservations.

Jacob laughed at my reaction and shot me an amused look, "Not like that. I swear, they're like hall monitors gone bad. They don't start fights, they keep the peace."

Quil snorted, "There was this guy from up somewhere by the Makah rez, big guy too, scary-looking. Well, word got around that he was selling meth to kids, and Sam Uley and his disciples ran him off our land. They're all about our land, and tribe pride...it's getting ridiculous. The worst part is that the council takes them _**seriously**_. Embry said that the council actually meets with Sam."

Jacob shook his head, face full of resentment, "Embry also heard from Leah Clearwater that they call themselves 'protectors' or something like that." His hands were clenched into fists, as if he'd like to hit something. I'd never seen my godbrother so frustrated with something before, it was strange and worrying.

Quil shot all three of the targets dead center and grunted in agreement with Jacob.

I raised my brow at their disgruntled expressions, "You guys don't seem to like them very much."

"Does it show?" Jacob asked sarcastically. He headed over to the cooler near the duffle bag and took a harsh swig of soda, glaring at the cliff the entire time.

I pouted and made a face at them, "Well...it doesn't sound like they're doing anything bad. From what you guys have told me, they just seem like annoying goody-two-shoes."

Jacob threw a soda at Quil's head, which he deftly caught. He sent me a calculating look before deciding to walk over and hand me a soda instead of throwing one. I stuck my tongue out at him, but gladly accepted the cool beverage.

Quil set down the shotgun and stretched out before taking a slight sip, "Yeah. Annoying is a good word. They're always showing off, like the whole cliff diving thing. They act like...like, I don't know. Like _tough guys_. We were hanging out at the store with Embry once, last semester, and Sam came by with his followers, Jared and Paul. I said something, you know how I can sometimes go too far, and it pissed Paul off. His eyes got all dark, and he sort of smiled - no, he showed his teeth but he didn't smile - and it was like he was so mad he was shaking or something. Sam put his hand against Paul's chest and shook his head. Paul looked at him for a minute and calmed down. Honestly, it was like he was holding him back, like Paul was going to tear us up if Sam hadn't stopped him."

Jacob groaned and rolled his eyes, "It was like a bad western movie, I swear. You know, Sam's a pretty big guy, he's twenty, but Paul's just sixteen. He's shorter than me and not as beefy as Quil. I think any one of us could take him."

"Tough guys," I agreed. I popped open my soda and hummed thoughtfully before taking a sip, "Isn't Sam a little too old for this kind of thing?"

"Yeah. He was _supposed_ to go to college, but he stayed. No one gave _him **any crap**_ about it, either. The whole council pitched a fit when _ **my** _ sister **turned down** a _**partial**_ scholarship and got married. But, oh no, _Sam Uley_ can do _**no fucking wrong**_ ," Jacob hissed, crushing his empty soda can against the ground. I winced. That was one topic I wasn't going to touch with a hundred foot pole. Quil patted Jacob's shoulder and took the empty can away from him, depositing it into a plastic bag in his duffle bag.

Quil sighed, "Man. Favoritism to the max." He took a quiet gulp of his soda and glared at the cliff along with Jacob.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the next, while I contemplated on what to say in this uncomfortable silence. I aimed and managed to shoot closer to the center this time.

I lowered the gun and glanced back at them, "Jake...?"

He let out a frustrated sigh and shot me a strained smile, "Yeah?" Quil took the gun from me and shot at the targets while I probed Jacob on what he else he was really hung up about.

"What's really bothering you? About the Sam thing, I mean? Is there something else?" I watched his face. He grimaced, but he didn't seem angry. He looked at the dirt and kicked his shoe against a nearby rock, like he was keeping time.

Jacob glanced up at me briefly before he murmured darkly, "It's the way they treat me. It creeps me out. The council is supposed to be made up of equals, but if there was a leader, it would be my dad. I've never been able to figure out why people treat him the way they do. Why his opinion counts the most. It's got something to do with his father and his father's father. My great-grandpa, Ephraim Black, was sort of the last chief we had, and they still listen to Billy, maybe because of that. I'm just like everyone else. Nobody treats me differently...until now."

Quil paused and turned back to stare at us, a worried frown flicked onto his face, "Sam treats you differently?"

"Yeah," he agreed, looking up at the sky with troubled eyes. He shook his head, "He looks at me like he's waiting for something...like I'm going to join his stupid gang someday. He pays more attention to me than any of the other guys. I hate it."

Quil let out a grunt, "You don't have to join anything. None of us do. They _can't_ make us."

I felt out of place suddenly. I didn't know what to really do or say about this. I was pretty sure a gang could make people join via force. I wasn't going to audibly argue with them though.

"Yeah," his foot kept up its rhythm against the rock.

"What?" I tilted my head and curiously searched his face. It seemed like there was more to it than just that.

Jacob frowned, his eyebrows pulling up in a way that looked sad and worried rather than angry, "It's Embry. He's been avoiding us lately."

Quil flopped down onto the ground and gently laid the shotgun down beside him, "Embry missed a week of school, but he was never home when we tried to see him. Plus, when he came back...he looked...he looked freaked out. Terrified. We tried to get him to tell us what was wrong, but he wouldn't talk to either of us."

I stared at Jacob and Quil, biting my lip anxiously – they seemed really frightened. Jacob didn't look at me. He watched his own foot kicking at the rock. The tempo increased.

"Then this week, out of nowhere, Embry's hanging out with Sam and the rest of them. He was out on the cliffs today. Not now, but a little while ago..." Jacob's voice was low and tense. He stopped kicking the rock and sighed.

Quil tilted his head back and let out a glum hum, "Eliza, they bugged him even more than they bother either of us. He didn't want anything to do with them, but now Embry's following Sam around like he's joined a cult."

Jacob exhaled deeply through his nose, "That's the way it was with Paul. Just. Exactly. The. Same. He wasn't friends with Sam at all. Then he stopped coming to school for a few weeks, and, when he came back, suddenly Sam owned him. I don't know what it means. I can't figure it out, and I feel like I have to, because Embry's our friend and...Sam's looking at me funny...and..."

"Have you talked to uncle Billy about this?" I asked, tilting my head. It was weird and definitely gave me the creeps for some reason.

"Yes," he snorted angrily, before kicking at the rock again. He rolled his eyes, "That was helpful."

Quil shot him a worried look, "What did he say?"

Jacob's expression was sarcastic, and when he spoke, his voice mocked the deep tones of my godfather's voice, "It's nothing you need to worry about now, Jacob. In a few years, if you don't...well, I'll explain later."

He shook his head and spat, "What am I supposed to get from that? Is he trying to say it's some stupid puberty, coming-of-age thing? This is something else. Something _is_ wrong."

He was biting his lower lip and clenching his hands. He looked like he was about to cry. It was the same expression he had when we found out that his sisters were running away from La Push.

I threw my arms around him wrapping them around his waist and pressing my face against his chest. He was so big, I felt like I was a child hugging their parent.

"Oh Jacob, it'll be okay!" I promised. I shot him an encouraging smile, "If it gets worse you can come live with me and my dad."

He froze for a second, and then his long arms wrapped hesitantly around me. He let out a watery laugh, "Thanks."

We broke apart awkwardly, and laughed. Quil smiled and snorted, "So are we going to keep shooting or what?"

"Let's do it," I agreed, more enthusiastic than I would have been half a minute ago.

By the time we were done, the sun had colored the skies a pinkish orange. I dropped Jacob and Quil off at their respective homes, and hurried back home. Dinner went as well as always, although we did end up eating a lot more grilled fish than I had anticipated. My mom said to keep the weapons and my necklace on me as per usual. I didn't bother to inform either of my parents that I had started to learn how to shoot. It would just needlessly worry them.

This night was not as bad as last night. The T3s helped as much as they did, but even with that, my nightmares usually raged on. Tonight, however, my nightmare's potency was dulled for some reason. I was _still_ horrified by the flashes of red interspersed throughout the nothingness though. I had a dreadful feeling that _this_ nightmare was just beginning...


	17. Chapter 17

**17\. Baseball**

My Saturday morning suddenly seemed sour as dark rain clouds closed in on the sky. It was just beginning to drizzle when Edward turned onto my street. I sighed. Well there goes my Saturday.

Through the curtain of rain, I spotted my godfather's familiar weathered black, parked in my driveway. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be vegging out at home? Huh.

I hurried down the stairs and opened the door for them. My godbrother leaned away from the rain under our shallow front porch, behind uncle Billy's wheelchair. His face was impassive as stone as Edward parked his car against the curb. Jacob stared him down, his expression dark.

Uncle Billy's face was no longer impassive, and his hands clutched at the armrests of his chair. He seemed to be glaring at Edward through the rain.

"Hey, uncle Billy. Hi, Jacob," I cheerfully greeted them. I hustled them into the house out of the rain, "Dad's gone for the day - I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not long," uncle Billy said in a subdued tone. We walked into the house as I closed the door. I shuddered slightly, happily feeling the warmth seep back into my bones. My godfather searched my face before stating, "I just wanted to bring this up." He gestured to the brown paper sack resting in his lap.

"Thanks," I said, though I had no idea what it could be. Was it more fish? I don't think I could talk any more fish at this point. My dad kept bringing so much home after every new fishing trip.

I smiled and offered to take the brown bag, "Here, I can take that."

"You'll want to put it in the fridge," uncle Billy noted as he handed me the package. "It's some of Harry's homemade fish fry - Charlie's favorite. The fridge keeps it drier," he shrugged sheepishly.

"Thanks," I repeated, beaming at him, "I was getting tired of dad's usual fish recipe. This'll be a nice change, especially since he's bound to bring up some more again."

"Fishing again?" uncle Billy asked chuckling all the while. He shook his head, "Down at the usual spot? Maybe I'll run by and see him."

I tilted my head and made a face, "Nope. He said he was headed down to the one near that big river. I forgot it's name, but Harry said they got the best fish from that place last time."

He smiled, "I'll bug Charlie to bring me with him next time. Best fish indeed." Uncle Billy turned to Jacob, "Jake? Why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Charlie, too."

"Where is it?" Jacob asked, his voice slightly tinged with irritation. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together. I idly wondered what was bugging him. He seemed sort of okay yesterday.

"I think I saw it in the trunk. You might have to dig for it," uncle Billy said, shooting him a sheepish smile.

Jacob let out a dramatic sigh and slouched back out into the rain.

Uncle Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I could hear his wet wheels squeak against the linoleum as he tagged along. I yawned as I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of our fridge. I slowly turned around to confront him about all this awkwardness. It was so unlike him. His deeply lined face was unreadable though.

"Thanks again for the fish fry," I gracelessly stated. I really didn't know what uncle Billy wanted. Had I done something wrong?

He nodded and hesitated slightly before quietly stating, "Elizabeth..."

My eyebrows rose and I gave him my full attention. Was I in _actual_ trouble? Usually my full name didn't really come into play if I was either in trouble or the person didn't know me. Since it couldn't be the latter, it must've been the former. I gulped and nodded.

"Elizabeth," he said again, "You are my goddaughter and Charlie is like a brother to me. I love you both very much."

I slowly nodded for him to go on, "Yes...?"

He spoke each word carefully in his rumbling voice, "I noticed you've made a ' _friend'_ out of one of the _**cold**_ ones."

"Sort of," I replied hesitantly. We were dysfunctional friends at best, I supposed.

His face took on a decidedly gloomy look, "Maybe it's none of my business, but I don't think that is such a good idea."

"You're right," I agreed. I leaned against the fridge, "I doubt that he would _let_ me just drop him as a friend though."

He raised his graying eyebrows, "Chippewa, if you aren't safe...you can come stay with us for the interim. I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind."

"Actually, I think I can handle it. Besides, I like living with my dad instead of just visiting...even _if_ I have to deal with weirdos. I mean, if it does get worse...I can always come to you guys, right?" I softly smiled down at him.

"That's true," he acceded, his eyes guarded. He looked behind him for a moment and pulled out a water bottle and handed it to me, "Just in case...they might be friendly now, but you never know. Just splash it on their face and run far and fast towards our boundary line. You know where that is, right Chippewa?"

I gingerly took the water bottle, I suspected that it was full of holy water. I nodded, "Where the tree line glows blue."

He pursed his thick lips and nodded thoughtfully, "Good girl. Does Charlie know about the Cullens?"

"Charlie likes the Cullens a lot," I warily stated. He clearly understood my problem. It would take something quite **big** for my dad to believe us.

His expression was unhappy, but not at all surprised. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence.

"I see," he finally stated after a pregnant pause.

"Just be careful, Chippewa," he urged; his eyes filled with nothing but concern for me. I sent him a watery smile.

Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped up at the sound.

"There's no picture anywhere in that car," Jacob's complaining voice reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were stained with the rain, his short hair dripping, when he rounded the corner.

"Hmm," uncle Billy grunted, pulled on a goofy smile, and spun his chair around to face his son. He shrugged bonelessly, "I guess I left it at home."

Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically, "Great."

"Well, Chippewa, tell Charlie...," my godfather paused before continuing, "...that we stopped by, I mean."

"I will," I murmured.

Jacob rose a brow and huffed, "Are we leaving already?"

"Charlie's gonna be out late," uncle Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob.

"Oh," Jacob pouted and let out a disappointed sigh. He shot me a sheepish look, "Well, I guess we'll see you later, then, shortie."

"Sure," I agreed weakly while I hugged them both goodbye.

"We love you," uncle Billy murmured as he tightly hugged me. It sound so much like a goodbye that I couldn't reply. I kissed his weathered cheek and gave him a watery smile. Was I heading towards my doom?

Jacob helped my godfather out the door. I waved at them through the downpour and stood on my porch until their car blurred away against the rain. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and anxiety to subside. With a deep breath of the ice cold air, the tension eventually faded from my shoulders. I shook my head and hurried up the stairs to change into sturdy clothes. If my godfather thought something bad was bound to happen, I might as well gear up for the worst. Right? Or was I being paranoid? I really didn't know anymore.

I strapped on my weapons underneath a baggy hoddie and jeans. I tightly wound my hair into a braid. Just in case I was running for my life, I didn't want my hair spelling out my doom by getting into my eyes. I wasn't sure what to expect tonight, but I _had_ to be prepared. I coated my bullets with holy water and dabbed on a heavy amount on myself as well. I texted my mum that I loved her. I didn't want my last words to her to be 'I'll talk to you later'. I don't think I would be able to forgive myself if that would be it.

My phone suddenly rang and I tilted my head curiously at the name that popped up. I swear, I just talked to Jessica recently. I shrugged and answered her call, "Hey, Jessica. What's up?"

"My date was so much fun!" Jessica gushed. She launched into a minute-by-minute account of her wondrous night only to pause dramatically when she started describing what went on between her and Mike.

"...And Mike kissed me! Can you believe it?" she said breathlessly. Well it was their third date. Didn't that constitute kissing? Or was that just in the romantic comedies I kept watching?

"That's wonderful, Jessica," I happily stated. They looked good together.

"So what did you end up doing?" Jessica hummed blithely.

"Nothing, really. I just hung around with my godbrother and Quil. I learned how to shoot," I grinned back at that memory. That had been a pretty good day.

I heard my dad's car rumble into our driveway.

Jessica laughed, "You and your guns. You should do something more girly. Oh! Did you ever hear anything more from Edward Cullen?"

I could hear the worry coating her words and I shook my head. I didn't quite know to to reassure her that I was fine. That Edward wouldn't harm me, so far. I think. I wasn't really too sure on that part, actually.

The front door slammed and I could hear my dad banging around under the stairs, putting his tackle away.

"Um..." I hesitated, not quite sure what to say. He was back far earlier than I had anticipated. I glanced at my watch. It was already almost noon. Hadn't my dad said he'd be back _tonight_? I wondered what happened.

"Hi there, kiddo!" my dad called out. I popped my head out of my room and beamed down at him, "Hi, dad!"

Jessica heard his voice. She clucked her tongue, "Oh, your dad's there. Never mind - we'll talk tomorrow. See you in Spanish. Okay?"

I nodded and warmly stated, "See ya, Jess."

I bolted down the stairs and engulfed my very damp dad, "Hey, Dad." I made a face. He smelled like wet algae and so very fishy. I narrowed my eyes and looked around, "Where's the fish?"

He returned my hug gently and patted my back. He laughed, tilting his head back before winking, "I already put it out in the freezer. The fish didn't bite as well as I hoped this morning."

"Uncle Billy dropped off some of Harry's fish fry this morning while you were gone," I enthusiastically chipped in. Not that I didn't love my dad's cooking. I was just getting tired of the same fish fry every other day.

"He did? That's my favorite," my dad's lit up as we made our way to the kitchen.

I tidied up while my dad got lunch ready. It didn't take long till we were sitting at the table, eating in silence. We happily enjoyed our food. I could certainly get used to Harry's fish fry.

"What did you do with yourself today?" he asked, spooning more of the fish into his mouth.

I munched on a bread roll and popped in some fish into my mouth. I swallowed and hummed, "Well, this morning before uncle Billy and Jacob came over, I just hung out around the house reading and doing my homework."

"That sounds good, sweetheart," my dad said happily.

"Tonight's when I'm supposed to go over to Edward's to meet his family. He doesn't have a lot of friends, apparently, and they want to play nighttime baseball," I added in a rush. I gulped down some water and avidly watched my dad's happy expression melt away.

He dropped his fork and asked in total astonishment, "Dr. Cullen's place?"

I gulped down the rest of my water and murmured, "Yeah." I wondered if he was going to forbid me from going. Would that be a way out for me? As friendly as Edward was being...I still really didn't trust him. For all I know, he was just prepping me to be his personal moving blood bag. Vampires did that, right?

"You guys are _just_ friends?" he hadn't picked his fork back up. He looked at me desperately as if I had just said I was _both_ pregnant and dropping out of school.

I let out a barking laugh, "Just friends, dad. If I liked a boy that way, and wanted to do something about it...well, I would telly you and mum about that." I told them about Quil when I was younger, but they just brushed it off as puppy love. I hadn't ever brought up the fact that any of my feelings ever lingered. The sting of my fight with Quil, and Jacob over that as children...still made my stomach clench. Nope. No. I wasn't going to think about that. That was in the past.

It appeared that my dad was going to explode. I had never seen him go so red or his face twist that way. He must not have liked Edward like that for me at all. I wondered if he knew we were related, or if he was a vampire. He probably wouldn't have reacted well to either of those facts.

I raised my brow and worriedly asked, "Dad, are you all right?"

"You don't though, right? You don't like _him_ , like that," he muttered darkly.

I shook my head and softly smiled at him, "No, dad. I don't. Besides, I have other things to worry about right now." Like not dying.

"Good," he settled back into his chair. He picked up his fork and continued on eating. He chewed thoughtfully, "When is he coming over then?"

I looked at my watch and inwardly cursed, "He'll be here in a few minutes. He wanted to pick me up at noon." I knew that he was just lurking near our property all morning though. He _still_ continued to be creepy. I don't think he could really help it at this point.

He nodded, "Where are you guys playing baseball?"

I tilted my head and thought about it, "I think their family has a baseball field."

His face puckered, and then he finally chuckled, "You're _really_ playing baseball?"

"Well, I'll probably watch most of the time," I winced. I wasn't that particularly good at baseball, although to be fair. I was far worse with volleyball.

"Don't kill the doctor, or anyone else. I wouldn't want to have to write up my _own_ daughter," he chuckled, finishing off his lunch.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "I'm not that bad, dad."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, sweetheart."

I heard the roar of an engine pull up in front of the house. I jumped up at the sound and almost choked on my saliva in the process. My dad shook his head and took our empty plates, "I can do the dishes."

I smiled and nodded. Soon enough, the doorbell rang. An impish look flickered onto my dad's face as he went off to answer it. I was half a step behind him shaking my head. It wouldn't do to antagonize someone that could literally eat you.

When my dad opened the door I whistled. It was _really_ pouring rain outside. Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking calm, but I could see that he still felt a little uncomfortable.

My dad gestured for him to come in, "Come on in, Edward." I winced inwardly, did this mean he could come and go in our house as he wished now? God damn it, dad! I scowled inwardly.

"Thanks, Chief Kites," Edward stated in a respectful voice.

My dad roved his eyes on Edward's face before nodding, "Here, I'll take your jacket."

"Thanks, sir," Edward slipped off his jacket and handed it off to my dad. My dad quickly hung up the jacket and guided us towards our couch.

He raised his brow at Edward and curtly stated, "Here...have a seat there, Edward."

I grimaced and followed after them.

Edward sat down fluidly in the only chair; he winked behind my dad's back. I shook my head at him. This was really not the time for jokes.

"So I hear you're getting my girl to watch, and possibly play, baseball," he humorously stated. Only in Washington would the fact that it was raining buckets have no bearing at all on the playing of outdoor sports.

"Yes, sir, that's the plan," he stated simply.

"Well, more power to you, I guess," my dad laughed, and Edward joined in.

"Okay," I stood up. This wasn't at all humorous. I'd rather face whatever was coming my way at this rate.

"Enough humor at my expense. Let's go," I walked back into the hall and pulled on my jacket over my hoodie. They followed.

My dad pulled me into a hug, "Not too late, sweet pea."

I looked up at him and nodded happily, "Will do, daddy-o." He rolled his eyes at me, but I could feel a bit of worry seep out of him.

"Don't worry, Chief Kites, I'll have her home early," Edward promised.

He shot Edward a solemn look, "You take care of my girl, all right?"

I groaned, but they ignored me. I could, seriously, take care of myself. For the most part. Besides, asking a vampire to take care of a beating heart was just asking for trouble.

"She'll be safe with me, I promise, sir," he sincerely stated. I shook my head and walked out into the rain. As safe as a cow in a slaughter house I bet.

They both laughed, and Edward followed me.

I stopped dead on the porch. There, behind my truck, was a monster Jeep. Its tires were higher than my waist. There were metal guards over the headlights and tail-lights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar. The hardtop was shiny red.

My dad let out a low whistle.

"Wear your seat belts," he choked out chuckling under his breath. I rolled my eyes. Of course this would be something my dad found hilarious.

Edward followed me around to my side and opened the door. I gauged the distance to the seat and prepared to jump for it. He sighed, and then lifted me in with one hand. I grimaced and stuck my tongue out at Edward. He shrugged and went around to the driver's side, at a rather sedate pace.

I tried to put on my seat belt, but there were too many God damn buckles. I let my hands flop onto my lap and sighed, "What's all this?"

He shot me an amused smile, "It's an off-roading harness."

I looked at all the buckles and pouted, "Well, shit."

I tried to find the right places for all the buckles to fit, but it wasn't going too quickly. He sighed again and reached over to help me. I was glad that the rain was too heavy to see my dad clearly on the porch. That meant he couldn't see how I couldn't even buckle myself in. I didn't want my dad to see that I couldn't even handle the seat belts here. I was more capable than that. At least...I liked to think that.

Edward turned the key and the engine roared to life. We pulled away from the house and into the wall of rain that surrounded us.

I looked around the Jeep and hummed, "This is a...um...big Jeep you have."

"It's Emmett's. I didn't think you'd want to run the whole way," the sides of his eyes crinkled in mirth as he let out a slight chuckle.

I nodded, "Where do you keep this thing?"

"We remodeled one of the outbuildings into a garage," he said simply.

Then something sunk in. I shot him a disbelieving look, " _Run the whole way_? As in, we're _still_ going to _**run**_ part of the way?" My voice edged up a few octaves. That was a big leap of faith. That was faith that I didn't quite have in my new vampire friend. Way to test my boundaries.

He grinned tightly, "You're not going to run."

I felt greener than mint ice cream, "I'm going to be sick."

He shrugged as we continued driving on, "Just keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine."

I bit my lip, fighting the panic that surged through me.

He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. He pulled back quickly and groaned. I gazed at him, puzzled. That was a really weird thing to do.

"You smell so good in the rain," he explained. Way to be creepy, man.

"In a good way, or in a bad way?" I asked cautiously. I patted where I had my bottle of holy water warily.

He sighed and apologetically stated, "Both, always both."

Throughout the rest of the journey, any conversation between the two of us was impossible because I kept bouncing up and down on the seat like a jackhammer. He seemed to enjoy the ride though, smiling hugely the whole way. I don't know how he found his way through the utter downpour, but he managed to find a side road, it was less of a road and more of a mountain, path after a _very long_ while.

The rain eventually died down into a mere drizzle, slowing every second, the sky brighter through the clouds when we came to the end of the road. The trees formed green walls on all three sides of the Jeep.

He propped open his door after helping unbuckle me, "Sorry, Eliza, we have to go on foot from here."

I shot him a sharp look, "You know what? I'm good. I can just wait here."

He rolled his eyes, "What happened to all your courage? You aren't a coward."

"I'm _not_ a coward. I just know how to survive, and doing what you want could probably kill me," I curtly stated, crossing my arms.

He was around to my side of the car in a blur, "Hmmm..." He tilted his head thoughtfully before giving me a crooked grin, "It seems I'm going to have to tamper with your memory."

Before I could react, he pulled me from the Jeep and set my feet on the ground. It was barely misting now. I shot him a wary look and took a step back, bumping into the side of the Jeep, "Tamper with my memory?" I let out a nervous laugh. Could vampires mess with a person's memories like how a wizard could? I felt a pit of fear blossom in my stomach.

"Something like that," he was watching me intently, carefully, but there was humor deep in his eyes. He placed his hands against the Jeep on either side of my head and leaned forward, forcing me to press back against the Jeep's wet exterior. He leaned in even closer, his face inches from mine. I had no room to escape. Was this how he really felt? Pedophile!

My mind felt hazy when I smelt his breath. He caught my eyes and I felt like this was how a fly felt before he was lured into a light trap.

"Now," he breathed, "what exactly are you worrying about?"

"Well, um, hitting a tree...," I gulped, "...dying and then getting eaten."

He fought back a grimace and took a step back. He shot me a hurt look before shaking his head, "I _won't_ eat you. I promised you that. Besides, would I ever let a _tree_ hurt you?" He shot me a comforting look.

"No," I murmured. I felt my gun against my hip and patted the holy water I had hidden in my hoodie pocket.

Edward nodded and firmly said, "Then there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?"

"No," I sighed, giving up. I just couldn't win with this guy.

He threw me across his back, and knocked the wind out of me. If this is what he was like when he was gentle, I didn't want to know what he was like when he was otherwise. I gasped for breath before I locked my legs around his waist, and secured my arms in a choke hold around his neck.

"Don't forget to close your eyes," he warned severely.

I quickly tucked my face into his shoulder blade, under my own arm, and squeezed my eyes shut. I could hardly tell we were moving. I could feel him gliding along beneath me, but he could have been strolling down the sidewalk, the movement was so smooth. I was tempted to peek, just to see if he was really flying through the forest, but I resisted. It wouldn't be worth any awful dizziness. I wasn't quite sure we had stopped until he reached back and touched my hair.

"We're here, Eliza," he gently whispered.

I dared to open my eyes, and, sure enough, we were at a standstill. I stiffly unlocked my stranglehold on his body and slipped onto the ground, landing on my backside.

"Oh!" I huffed as I hit the wet ground. I shook my head and smeared the mud off of my hands onto my jeans. I let out a defeated sigh.

He stared at me incredulously, and broke into a roar of laughter.

I picked myself up, ignoring him for the most part, but that only made him laugh harder. Annoyed, I shot him a heated glare.

He smiled, "I'm sorry. Please try to behave yourself around my family." He bent down slightly and kissed my damp hair. It was a weird new thing that he was doing. It kind of felt like the thing my grandpa would do though, from the still fuzzy memories I had of him.

I held properly still for a moment before murmuring, "You promised my dad that you would have me home early, remember? We'd better get going."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled wistfully and gave me a bastardized salute. He led me a few feet through the tall, wet ferns and draping moss, around a massive hemlock tree, and we were there, on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks. It was twice the size of any baseball stadium.

I could see three figures sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I could see Jasper and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to be throwing something back and forth, but I never saw any ball. It looked like Dr. Carlisle was marking bases, but were they really supposed to be that far apart? That seemed incorrect.

When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose.

A honey brown haired woman walked toward us. Emmett followed after a long look at Rosalie's back; Rosalie had risen gracefully and strode off towards the field without a glance in our direction. I shrugged inwardly.

"Is this Eliza?" the brunette asked as she approached.

"That's the shortie that Edward won't stop talking about," Emmett clarified. I rose a brow at that comment.

I smiled hesitantly at her, "Hello." I wiggled my fingers at her.

"Mom, this is my _friend_ Eliza Kites. Eliza this is my mother, Esme," Edward explained, quickly trying to shut Emmett up.

I held my hand out, "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." Her hand was damp and as cold as the air that swirled around us.

She took my hand gently and shook it, "It's nice to meet you too, Eliza."

Alice left her position and was running, or rather dancing, toward us. She hurtled towards us before coming to a fluid stop at our feet. "It's time," she announced happily pulling me into a hug. Well. She was far friendlier than the blonde bombshell. I awkwardly patted her back. Was this how she greeted all her acquaintances?

Soon a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest beyond us, and then crashed westward towards Forks. Damn. We were _really_ far away.

"Eerie, isn't it?" Emmett said with easy familiarity, winking at me. They were all really familiar with me and it made a sliver of fear crawl up my spine. I shot him a wary smile and nodded. This _entire thing_ was kind of eerie.

"Let's go," Alice reached for Emmett's hand and they darted toward the oversized field; she ran like a gazelle. He was nearly as graceful and just as fast - yet Emmett could never be compared to a gazelle. He kind of reminded me of a bear on Adderall.

"Are you ready for some baseball?" Edward asked, his eyes eager and bright.

I tried to sound appropriately enthusiastic, "Go team!" It was kind of hard to maintain any enthusiasm when dread kept rising in me though. I probably should've stayed home.

He snickered and, after mussing my hair, bounded off after the other two. His run was more aggressive, a cheetah rather than a gazelle or a bear, and he quickly overtook them.

"Shall we go down?" Esme asked in her soft, melodic voice, and I realized I was staring open mouthed after him. I quickly reassembled my expression and nodded. Esme kept a few feet between us, and I wondered if she was still being careful not to frighten me. She matched her stride to mine without seeming impatient at the pace. My bracelet and necklace warmed my chilled skin. I already knew that I was around dangerous creatures though. You'd have to be an idiot not to notice that.

"You don't play with them?" I asked shyly, tugging at sleeve. It really was quite chilly out here.

"No, I much prefer to referee. It keeps them honest," she explained serenely, winking at me before turning to look back at the field.

"Do they like to cheat, then?" I tilted my head. How could you cheat if you _all_ had super speed?

"Oh yes. You should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don't because then you might think that they were raised by a pack of wolves," she chuckled quietly.

"You sound like my mom," I laughed, surprised at how similar she was to someone who had a pulse.

She beamed at me and wistfully said, "Well, I'll take that as a compliment. Being a mom is wonderful since I do think of them as my children, in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts...did Edward ever tell you that I had lost a child?" A gloomy facsimile of a smile flashed onto her face.

"No," I murmured, stunned. That got dark really fast.

"Mhmm...my _first_ and _only_ baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing," she sighed and stared out, probably reminiscing about her painful past.

Esme tilted her head towards the sky, and added in a factual way, "It _broke_ me. That's why I jumped off a cliff, you know."

"I'm sorry," I stammered. I didn't really know what to say at this point. It didn't help that she sounded so blunt about it...like there was no other way to say it.

"It's alright, dear. Enough time has passed that I'm quite alright with my lot in life," she let out a deep breath and shot me a weary smile.

She glanced at the others and murmured, "Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, even though he's older than I am. Well in one way at least."

She shot me a warm grin while I nodded, "That's why I'm so happy that he's found you, dear." The endearment sounded very natural on her lips. I found it odd.

"He's been...looking for a friend...for a very long time. I was so hurt to see him feel alone even though we were all around him," she murmured.

"You don't mind, then? That I'm human," I asked, hesitant at where this conversation had turned to.

"No," she tilted her head as her eyes twinkled, "You're what he wants in a friend. I'm sure it'll work out, somehow." Her forehead creased with worry as another peal of thunder began, the twinkle in her eyes vanishing.

Esme suddenly stopped, and I assumed that we had reached the edge of the field. It looked as if they had formed teams while we had been chatting. Edward was far out in left field, Dr. Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Alice held the ball, positioned on, what I assumed to be, the pitcher's mound.

Emmett swung around an aluminum bat making it whistle through the air. I waited for him to approach the home plate, but then I realized, as he took his stance, that he was already there. It was farther from the pitcher's mound than I would have thought possible. Jasper stood several feet behind him, catching for the other team. Apparently, none of them needed gloves, which made sense...I guess.

"All right," Esme called out in a clear voice, "Batter up!"

Alice stood straight, deceptively motionless. Her style seemed to be stealth rather than an intimidating windup. She held the ball in both hands at her waist, and then, like the strike of a cobra, her right hand flicked out and the ball smacked into Jasper's hand.

"Was that a strike?" I whispered to Esme. I wasn't too sure because the ball seemed to move faster than I had anticipated.

"Mhmm," she told me patting my shoulder gently.

Jasper hurled the ball back to Alice's waiting hand. She permitted herself a brief grin, and then her hand spun out again.

This time the bat somehow made it around in time to smash right into the invisible ball. The crack of the impact was shattering and thunderous, as it echoed off the mountains. The ball shot out like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest. I immediately understood the necessity of the thunderstorm.

"Home run," I murmured as a flash of lightening lit up the field.

"Wait," Esme cautioned, listening intently to something with her one hand raised. Emmett was a blur around the bases, as Dr. Carlisle shadowed him. I shortly realized that Edward appeared to be missing.

"Out!" Esme cried out, happily smiling. I stared in disbelief as Edward sprang from the fringe of the trees with the baseball in his upraised hand, his wide grin was visible even to me.

"Emmett hits the hardest," Esme explained, "but Edward runs the fastest."

The inning continued and it was impossible to keep up with the speed at which the baseball flew, and the rate at which their bodies raced around the field. I didn't really know the purpose of being here when I couldn't really participate. I mean...I could, but then I'd probably just end up as some sort of bloody mess. And with vampires, a bloody mess was the last thing you wanted to be.

I found out that the other reason as to why they waited for a thunderstorm to play baseball. When Jasper, trying to avoid Edward's infallible fielding, hit a ground ball toward Dr. Carlisle they collided into one another. The sound they produced was akin to a crash of two falling boulders. It startled me enough to jumped up in concern the first time around, but they appeared to be unscathed, somehow. I wondered what made their bodies so much more durable? The last time I had checked the internet, they weren't made out of stone.

"Safe," Esme called out serenely.

Emmett's team was up by one when Rosalie managed to flit around the bases after tagging up on one of Emmett's long flies. By that time Edward had managed to catch the third out. He sprinted to my side, eyes sparkling with exhilaration.

"What do you think?" he asked excitedly.

"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through a normal Major League Baseball again," I chortled. This was definitely far more exciting, albeit quite a lot more dangerous.

"And it sounds like you did that _so much_ before," he laughed gently ribbing me.

I rolled my eyes, a smirk quirking my lips, "Shut up."

"Well...I'm up next," he flashed me a crooked smile while he headed for the plate.

He played intelligently, keeping the ball low, out of the reach of Rosalie's prepared hand in the outfield. He gained two bases like lightning before Emmett could get the ball back in play. Dr. Carlisle knocked one so far out of the field, with a boom that hurt my ears, that he and Edward both made it in. Alice slapped them dainty high fives.

The score constantly changed as the game continued, and they razzed each other like street ballplayers while they took turns with the lead. Occasionally, Esme would call them to order. As the thunder and lightening rolled on, no rain appeared to crash the game. I found it miraculous that we were able to stay dry this long.

Dr. Carlisle was up to bat with Edward as the catcher when Alice suddenly gasped. My eyes narrowed in on Alice, and I saw Edward's head snap up to look at her. Their eyes met and something flowed between them in an instant. He was at my side before the others could ask Alice what was wrong.

"Alice?" Esme's voice was tense.

"I didn't see it time. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...I couldn't tell what they wanted to do...," she whispered, her eyes wide as her lower lip seemed to tremble.

All the others had gathered in around us by this time.

"What is it, Alice?" Dr. Carlisle calmly questioned.

"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see that I had the perspective wrong before," she murmured, kicking at the dirt slightly. She shot me an apologetic look.

Jasper leaned over her, his posture protective. "What changed?" he quietly asked, as he entangled his arms around her petite shoulders. She kind of reminded me more of those porcelain Tinkerbell figurines rather than the one from the movies.

"They heard us playing, and it changed their path," she contritely whispered, as if she felt responsible for whatever had frightened her.

Seven pairs of quick eyes flashed to my face and towards the forest.

"How soon?" Dr. Carlisle hurriedly asked, as he turned toward Edward.

A look of intense concentration crossed his face before he scowled, "Less than five minutes. They're running...they want to _play_." I did _not_ like the way he said play. Not one bit. I had my hand on my gun while I scanned the forest. I idly wondered how far La Push was from here.

"Can you make it?" Dr. Carlisle murmured, his eyes flicking toward me again. I did _not_ like _any_ of this one bit. Was this how I was going to die? I shivered slightly at that thought.

"No, not carrying -" Edward cut himself short. He shook his head, a determined look on his face, "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch her scent and start hunting around _here_."

"How many?" Emmett asked Alice.

"Three," she answered tersely.

"Three!" he scoffed. He flexed his arms and glared at the forest, before hissing darkly, "Let them come."

For a split second, Dr. Carlisle seemed to really think about that idea. Only Emmett seemed unperturbed; the rest stared at Dr. Carlisle's face with anxious eyes.

"Let's just continue the game," Dr. Carlisle finally decided.

His voice was cool and level, but tight, "Alice said they were simply curious." I worriedly wondered if I was a good enough shot to shoot anyone if they tried anything. I really wished that I wouldn't get eaten tonight.

"You can catch now, Esme," Edward grimly stated.

He shot me a worried smile, "I'll call it now for now." Edward planted himself in front of me. Was he going to voluntarily be my meat shield now?

The others returned to the field, warily sweeping the dark forest with their sharp eyes. Alice and Esme seemed to orient themselves around where I stood. Well this was definitely bad. _Why_ did I agree to this again?

"Put your hood on," Edward ordered in a low, even voice. I didn't like how he was ordering me around, but if it meant I got to live another day, I would follow his every word.

I obediently slid on my hood and tucked my hair into my hoodie. I warily glanced at him, "What now?"

"Just stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please," he stressed, his voice sounded tense as he clenched his fists.

"That won't help," Alice murmured softly, "I could smell her across the field when I was _way_ over there."

"I know," he desperately hissed. He shook his head, "It's better than nothing though..."

Dr. Carlisle stood at the plate, and the others joined the game halfheartedly. The seconds ticked by, and the game progressed with apathy now. No one dared to hit harder than a bunt, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper hovered in the infield. Now and again, despite the fear that numbed my brain, I was aware of Rosalie's eyes on me. They were expressionless, but something about the way she held her mouth made me think she was angry. This was all very fucked up.

Edward seemed to pay no attention to the game at all at this point. It seemed as though his eyes were glued onto the forest.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he muttered fiercely. He eyes shined as he grimaced, "It was stupid, nay, irresponsible to expose you like this. I'm _so_ sorry."

I heard an exasperated breath whoosh out of him as his eyes zeroed in onto right field. He took a half step in front of me, angling himself between me and what was coming.

Dr. Carlisle, Emmett, and the others turned towards the same direction. I assumed that they were hearing sounds much too faint for my ears. My heart thudded in my chest and I slipped my gun out onto my side. I really hoped blessed bullets worked because otherwise...I might just be vampire food.


	18. Chapter 18

**18\. Fucked**

They emerged out of the dark forest one by one, ranging a dozen meters apart. Thunder boomed behind them as lightening highlighted their ragged features. The first was a male who fell back in the clearing immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, a light-haired man who swaggered in a manner that clearly displayed that he was the alpha male in their group. The third was a woman; from this distance, all I could see of her startling blood red hair. The same kind of hair that haunted my dreams. I felt my breath get knocked out of me. Shit. What did this mean?! My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, and I couldn't stop the hand that was holding my gun from shaking.

They closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward Edward's coven, exhibiting the actions of a troop of predators as it encountered a larger, unfamiliar group of its own kind. I should've said no to this outing.

As they approached, I could see how different they were from the Cullens. Their walk was catlike, a gait that seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch. Their sharp sinister looking black eyes carefully took in Dr. Carlisle's stance, who was flanked by Emmett and Jasper. They carefully stepped forward to meet them. Without any seeming communication between the dangerous looking group, they each straightened up into a more casual, erect bearing.

The man in front smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming sharp white fangs. They reminded me of the fangs that wendigos had. I shivered internally. Fucked. I was fucked. It was official. I clenched my gun and gulped silently.

The woman seemed wilder than their leader. I would easily peg her to be the most dangerous out of the three. Her eyes shifted restlessly between the men facing her and the loose grouping around me, her chaotic hair quivered in the slight breeze. Her posture was distinctly _still_ tense. The second male hovered unobtrusively behind them, far more slight than the leader with his dark brown hair and regular features, both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, seemed the most vigilant.

The light-haired man, still smiling, stepped towards Carlisle. "We thought we heard a game," he said in a relaxed voice.

"I'm James. These are coven members Victoria and Laurent," he gestured to the vampires beside him.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, Alice, Edward and Eliza," he pointed us out in rapidly, and I felt shocked when he said my name. If this was the kind of cover they wanted to provide...well we were _all_ going to be fucked then.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked sociably, piping up from behind James.

Dr. Carlisle matched Laurent's friendly tone, "Actually, we were just finishing up, but we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in this area for long?"

James tilted his head and motioned towards a different part of the forest, "We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any of our _own kind_ in a long time."

Dr. Carlisle nodded and firmly stated, "No, this region is usually empty, in that respect, except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."

The tense atmosphere had slowly subsided into a casual conversation; I guessed that Jasper was using his peculiar gift to control the situation. I really didn't know how I felt about that, but if it helped me shoot an attacker...all the better I supposed.

"What's your hunting range?" James casually inquired. Excuse me? I narrowed my eyes at them. They were the type to _hunt_ for their food. Huh. Well...damn. Did that mean they were stronger than the Cullens and Hales?

Dr. Carlisle stiffly stated, "The Olympic Range here, and up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

Laurent rocked back on his heels slightly while shooting them a curious look, "Permanent? How do you manage that?"

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably? It's a rather long story," Dr. Carlisle offered.

James and Victoria exchanged a surprised look between them, but Laurent controlled his expression better.

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome," James' smile was genial, "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." His eyes moved appreciatively over Dr. Carlisle's refined appearance.

"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from _hunting_ in this immediate area. We have to stay _inconspicuous_ , you understand," Dr. Carlisle explained.

"Of course," James nodded.

Laurent pipped in laughing, "We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway." Another shiver ran up my spine. I checked on the safety on my gun and inwardly sighed. This was one of the few moments when I was glad that I had forgotten to switch on the safety on this gun. I just had to shoot one in the head, and it would be lights out bloodsucker.

"We'll just show you the way if you'd like to run with us. Emmett and Alice, you two can go with Edward and Eliza in Jeep," he casually added.

Three things seemed to happen simultaneously while Dr. Carlisle was speaking. My hoodie ruffled with the light breeze, Edward stiffened, and James suddenly whipped his head around. He scrutinized me as his nostrils flared. His eyes suddenly became entirely black, and I felt my insides squirm in fear. Was that normal?

A swift rigidity fell on all of them as James lurched one step forward into a crouch. Edward bared his fangs, crouched in a defensive pose, as a feral snarl ripped from his throat. His fangs seemed longer, but they weren't as frightening as James's wendigo teeth.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed in open surprise. Neither James nor Edward relaxed their aggressive poses. James feinted slightly to the side, and Edward shifted in response.

"She's with us," Dr. Carlisle's firm rebuff was directed toward James. Laurent seemed to catch my scent less powerfully than James, but awareness dawned on his face.

"You brought a snack? And a _Higginbotham_ no less. What a lovely surprise," he wryly stated, his expression incredulous as he took an involuntary step forward.

Edward snarled even more ferociously, his lip curling high above his glistening, bared fangs. Laurent stepped back.

"I _**said**_ she's with **us** ," Dr. Carlisle hissed in a hard voice.

"But she's human and a _Higginbotham_ ," James firmly protested. The words were not at all aggressive, merely astounded. I shook in my spot. How could they tell? I- fuck...damn. I glared at them. I prayed that no one would ask what that meant.

"Yes," Emmett ground his teeth moving closer to Dr. Carlisle's side, his eyes never straying off of James. James slowly straightened out of his crouch, but his creepy eyes stayed affixed on me, his nostrils wide. Victoria tilted her head towards me, a sinister smile gracing her lips. Both their eyes were as dark as the forest behind them, the whites of their eyes were completely gone. Edward stayed tensed in front of me, so far, he was being a really good meat shield.

When James spoke, his tone was mockingly calm, "It appears we have a lot to _learn_ about each other."

"Indeed," Dr. Carlisle's voiced, his tone colder than ice.

Laurent slowly hummed, "But we'd like to accept your invitation." His eyes flickered towards me and back to Dr. Carlisle, "And, of course, we will not harm the Higginbotham girl. We won't hunt in your range."

James glanced in disbelief and aggravation at Laurent, and exchanged a brief look with Victoria, whose head still flickered edgily from face to face. I think there was going to descension in their ranks soon, if this encounter meant anything at all.

Dr. Carlisle measured Laurent's open expression for a moment before he spoke, "We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" They gathered together, blocking me from view as they converged. Alice was instantly at my side, and Emmett fell back slowly, his eyes locked on James as he backed toward us.

"Let's go, Elizabeth," Edward's voice was low and bleak.

I slid my gun back into it's holster and nodded as we moved at human speed to the forest edge. Alice and Emmett were close behind us, hiding me. Once we were into the trees, Edward slung me over his back without breaking his stride. I gasped for breath as I gripped onto him as tightly as I could. He took off like a road runner, the others hot on his heels. I kept my head down, and tried to calm my raging heart. We reached the Jeep in an impossibly short amount of time, and Edward barely slowed down as he flung me onto the backseat. I landed painfully on my backside as Alice and Emmett slid into the Jeep.

I grimaced and glared at the back of Edward's head as he ordered, "Strap her in, Emmett."

Emmett shot me an apologetic look before doing as he was told.

Alice was already in the front seat, as Edward started the engine. It roared to life and we swerved backward, spinning around to face the winding road. Edward was growling something too fast for me to understand, but it sounded a lot like a string of profanities. The jolting trip was much worse this time, and the darkness only made it more frightening. Emmett and Alice both glared out the side windows. I took comfort in tracing my gun and feeling the holy water slosh in its water bottle in my hoodie pocket.

We hit the main road, and though our speed increased, I was able to see much better where we were going past the blurring lamp lights. We were headed south, _away_ from Forks. The FUCK?

"Where are we going!?" I demanded, wriggling against my confines. No one answered. No one even looked at me.

I growled, "Dammit! Where are you taking me? This is kidnapping! Motherfucking kidnapping!"

Emmett chuckled despite the dire situation and patted my shoulder. I snapped my teeth at him and glared.

"We have to get you away from here - far away – _now_ ," Edward didn't look back, his eyes seemingly glued onto the road. The scenery outside of the windows blurred even more so.

"Turn around! You have to take me home!" I shouted, tearing at the straps of the harness. I personally didn't want to shoot them, but if they pushed me, I would shoot a bitch.

"Emmett," Edward muttered grimly. Suddenly, Emmett secured my hands in his steely grasp.

I cried out, tearing up in utter frustration, "No! You can't do this! You can't! You- you psycho!"

"I have to, Elizabeth, now please be quiet," he snapped.

"I won't! You have to take me back – my dad _will_ call the FBI! They'll be all over your family – Dr. Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, to hide forever!" I grasped at straws. They liked it here didn't they? This would have to ensure my return home, right? Right?

"Calm down, Elizabeth," his voice was cold, "We've been through it before."

"Please! _**You're ruining everything**_! Please, let me go home!" I struggled violently. If I could reach my gun, I would've shot Edward's shoulder by this point.

"Edward, pull over," Alice spoke up for the first time. Her tone was sharp.

He flashed her a hard look, and then sped up choosing to ignore her request.

"Edward, let's just talk this through," she sighed and appeared to be pinching the bridge of her nose with her forefingers.

"You don't understand," he roared in frustration; it was deafening in the confines of the Jeep. He shook his head violently, "He's a _tracker_ , Alice, didn't you see that? He's a tracker! For some fucked up reason, he and that redhead are tracking Elizabeth! I could see it."

I felt Emmett stiffen next to me, and I wondered about his reaction to that word. It meant something more to the three of them than it did to me; I wanted to understand, but there was no opening for me to ask.

"Pull over, Edward," Alice's tone was reasonable, but there was a ring of authority in it I'd never heard before.

Emmett sighed, "Just do it, Edward."

He growled, "NO! Listen to me. I _saw_ his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession, and he wants her _dead._ Elizabeth, specifically, and he begins the hunt tonight along with his redheaded bitch."

"He doesn't know where -" Alice protested.

He interrupted her, "How long do you think it will take them to cross her scent in town? Their plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth."

I pleaded with them, "If you know that then you have to go back! Please! My dad could be in danger! You can't leave him there! You **can't** leave him!" I thrashed against the harness and Emmett's hold.

"She's right," Alice firmly stated.

The car slowed slightly.

"Let's just look at our options for a minute," Alice coaxed.

The car slowed again, more noticeably, and then suddenly we screeched to a jarring stop on the shoulder of the highway. I flew against the harness, and then slammed back into the seat. I grimaced and groaned. That hurt like a son of a bitch.

"There are no options," Edward hissed at Alice.

"I'm not leaving my dad!" I yelled out. If we had to run from some crazy psycho vampires, I would rather run and hide with my dad at La Push.

He ignored me completely.

"We have to take her back," Emmett firmly stated. I wouldn't shoot Emmett, but Edward was fast making his way onto my shit list.

"No," Edward petulantly stated.

"He's no match for us, Edward. _**They**_ won't be able to touch her," Emmett let go of my hands and apologetically smiled at me.

Edward grimaced, "They'll wait."

Emmett smiled roguishly, "I can wait, too."

"You didn't see - you don't understand. Once they commit to a hunt, they're unshakable. We'd have to _**kill**_ them," he stated grimly.

Emmett didn't seem upset by the idea, "That's an option." I was totally up for shooting them in the head, if we had to. I totally had enough bullets too. I think.

"There's another option besides that one," Alice said quietly.

Edward turned on her in fury, his voice a blistering snarl, "There - is - no - other - option!"

Emmett and I both stared at him in shock, but Alice seemed unperturbed. The silence lasted for a long minute as Edward and Alice stared each other down.

I narrowed my eyes at Edward, "Take me back."

"No," he interrupted.

I glared at him and continued, "You take me back home. I'll tell my dad that I have to go home to Phoenix because something happened to my mom. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave my dad alone. My dad won't call the FBI on your family and then you can take me somewhere safe like La Push."

They stared at me, stunned. Edward made a face at the mention of La Push. I inwardly soured at how he didn't like that side of my family.

"It's not a bad idea, really," Emmett hedged, his voice wary.

"It might work - and we simply can't leave her father unprotected. You know that," Alice softly stated.

Everyone looked at Edward. I really didn't like how they made him the defacto leader when no one else was around. He sighed, "It's too dangerous - I don't want them within a hundred miles of her. You don't know what they had planned for her." He sighed and scanned my face before shuddering.

"Edward, they're not getting through us," Emmett confidently added.

Alice paused for a moment, looking out into space, "I don't see either of them attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone. The redhead is hard to read. Her decisions keep shifting."

Edward let out a harsh laugh, "It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen. Just another thing to worry about."

"I _demand_ that you take me home," I firmly stated. The wariness from this ordeal seeped into my voice. It didn't burn away the anger that I felt towards Edward though. He was definitely on thin ice in my books. Good intentions or not, he shouldn't have freaking _kidnapped_ me.

Edward pressed his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Please," I said in a much smaller voice. I was willing to pull out all the tricks to get home, well...not seduction. That was one line that I didn't _dare_ want to cross.

He didn't look up, and when he spoke his voice sounded worn, "Fine, but we're leaving tonight. You tell Charlie whatever you want, but you have to be _out_ of Forks. **We** can protect you better than those _wolves._ Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep. Otherwise, you _will_ be vampire food. Got it? He's closing in and I don't know how much time we'll really have."

I personally thought that the 'wolves' would be better than him at keeping me safe _and_ happy, but chose not to say anything. I wasn't going to poke a raging bear, thank you very much.

The Jeep rumbled to life, and he spun us around, the tires squealing. A few minutes passed by in silence, other than the roar of the engine. Emmett patted my head gingerly and I shot him a wary grin. I doubted that he liked intrinsically following a moody guy like Edward either.

Edward spoke again breaking the silence, "When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, Elizabeth can go through her house on her own. Then we have fifteen minutes. Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."

"No way," Emmett broke in, "I'm with you."

"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone," Edward sighed.

"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you," Emmett shook his head firmly.

Edward raised a brow at his statement. "If the tracker is there...," he continued grimly, "...we keep driving."

"We're going to make it there before him," Alice said confidently.

Edward seemed to accept that. His mood swings were really violent. I idly wondered if they had pills for that for vampires. Could you give a vampire mood stabilizers and have them work?

"What are we going to do with the Jeep?" she asked.

His voice had a hard edge to it, "You're driving it home."

"No, I'm not," she stated calmly.

The unintelligible stream of profanities escaped from Edward's mouth. He shot Alice a deep dark glare.

"We can't all fit in my truck," I murmured. I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes, "I think you should let me go alone."

"Eliza, please just do this my way," he said between clenched teeth. Who died and made him the king? Other people had good ideas, and he should acknowledge that.

I ground my teeth and shook my head, "No. Will- you- just- _listen_? My dad's _not_ a moron, so if you're not in town tomorrow...he's going to get suspicious. As would everybody else. It's a small town, just in case you forgot."

Edward shrugged, "That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters."

I rolled my eyes, "Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are."

Emmett shot me a delighted smile. "Edward, listen to her," he urged, "I think she's right."

"Yes, she is," Alice agreed simply. A smug smile tugged at her lips. I wondered if she saw this going my way to begin with.

"I can't do that," Edward's voice was icy.

"Emmett should stay, too," I continued, "He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett."

"What?" Emmett turned to me.

"You'll get a better crack at him if you stay," Alice added.

Edward stared at her incredulously, "You think I should let her go alone?"

"Of course not," Alice said rolling her eyes, "Jasper and I will take her."

"I can't do that," Edward repeated, but this time there was a trace of defeat in his voice. The logic was working on him.

I decided to go in for the kill, "Hang out here for a few days. Let my dad see that you haven't kidnapped me, and lead James and Victoria on a wild-goose chase. Make sure they're completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home." He was being excruciatingly possessive and scary, but I think I could work with this until I could escape. I could see him beginning to consider it. I was definitely going to text my mother about this when I had the chance.

"Meet you where?" he asked warily.

I doubted they would let me go to La Push, so I supposed the next best thing would be... I sighed, "Phoenix." I hoped the sun would burn him into a God damn potato chip, along with Victoria and James.

"No. He'll hear that's where you're going," he said impatiently.

"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going," I glared at him.

"She's diabolical," Emmett chuckled. I really hoped that's how it seemed because at the moment, I was just bullshitting and hoping that it worked.

"And if that doesn't work?" Edward raised his brow.

"There are several million people in Phoenix," I informed him tartly.

"It's not that hard to find a phone book," Edward huffed.

I shook my head and snapped, "There's a psycho vampire after me. I'm not stupid enough to actually go home."

"Where exactly are you planning on staying then?" he inquired, a dangerous note in his voice.

I spat, "A hotel, genius."

"Edward, we'll be with her," Alice reminded him.

"What are you going to do in Phoenix?" he asked her scathingly.

Alice flippantly stated, "Stay indoors." The irritation was clear in her voice. Edward really needed to chill. Maybe a bullet to the shoulder would help.

"I kind of like it," Emmett cheerfully stated.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward glowered.

"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt. She'll get hurt, or you will while you're trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone...," he trailed off with a slow smile. Eat that motherfucker. I smugly smirked at Edward.

The Jeep was crawling slowly along now as we drove into town. Despite what I had said initially, I could feel the hairs on my arms standing up. I thought about my dad, alone in the house, and took in a slow breath. I could do this. I would definitely have to text my mom when I had a free moment away form Mr. Control-freak.

"Elizabeth?" Edward's voice was very soft. Alice and Emmett looked out their windows. He cleared his throat and shot me an awkward smile, "Don't die."

I let a breath out through my nose and tilted my head, "That's the plan."

He turned to Alice, "Do you _really_ think Jasper can handle this?"

Alice glared, "Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, **very** well, all things considered."

"Fine. Can you handle this?" he asked waspishly.

Alice pulled back her lips into a horrific grimace, fangs bared, and let loose with a guttural snarl that had me cowering against the seat in terror. That was fucked up scary. She had the same scary ass looking teeth as the other group. Did that happen with _all_ vampires? Did their teeth have an upgrade button somewhere when they got pissed off enough? I gulped reflexively.

Edward sourly smiled at her, "Then keep your opinions to yourself."


	19. Chapter 19

**19\. Escape Plan**

My dad had apparently waited up for me since all the house lights were on. My mind rapidly ran through possible solutions that would let my dad let me leave for a little while. It would have to do something with my mom, obviously. Something believable though. Something that he wouldn't check on, until later. What to say? What to say?

Edward pulled up slowly, staying well behind my truck. All three of them were acutely alert, ramrod straight in their seats, probably listening to every sound of the surrounding woods, looking through every shadow, catching every scent, and searching for something, anything, out of place. The engine cut off, and I sat, motionless, waiting for one of them to move or say something, anything.

"Neither of them are here," Edward said tersely, "Get going." Emmett reached over to help me get out of the harness.

"Don't worry, Eliza," he said in a low, but cheerful voice, "We'll take care of things here quickly."

"Elizabeth?" my dad called out. There was evident worry in his voice as I came into the house.

I hugged my dad in a fierce grip, "Daddy!" I shook in his arms, as tears streamed down my face relentlessly. This had been a really hard evening so far.

"Elizabeth, are you okay? What's going on?" his voice was frightened. I mentally counted the minutes that passed on by and decided that this had to be quick if I wanted any time to pack anything before I left.

"Mom was in an accident. I got the call while I was out with the Cullens. I have to go to Phoenix, dad," I murmured, my voice breaking.

"What happened?" his asked breathlessly.

"She was in a car accident and I have to see if she's okay. Dad, I have too...," I wiped the tears away from my eyes.

"Alright. Use our emergency fund on your debit okay? Do you need any help packing?" my dad hurried me up the stairs to my room. He quickly helped me pack a bag and I felt the guilt gnaw on my gut. I would _definitely_ have to text my mom about this.

We packed away my passport and a couple clothes into my backpack. He pulled me into another tight hug before I slipped on my backpack, "Call me when you land, okay?"

I nodded, "I will. I'll be back as soon as I find out she's okay."

My dad sent me a sad smile, "You better, kiddo. Come back safe and sound. I love you."

I shot my dad a sullen smile, "I love you too, dad. I'll see you soon." I really hoped that I wasn't lying about _that._

I stepped out of the front door and hugged my dad one last time. He smelt like gun polish, spicy aftershave, and something just naturally comforting. He kissed my head, "Do you need a ride?"

I shook my head, "I can drive myself, dad. Thanks though."

He waved at me as I hurried away from the house. I waved bye weakly. I couldn't believe that I was really doing this. God damn. I hoped that stupid tracker vampire would burn, or that I could shoot his stupid face.

I ran towards my truck hideously frightened of the dark that seemed to engulf everything. I threw my bag into the bed of my truck, and wrenched the door open. My key was already waiting in the ignition. I gunned the engine and peeled out of driveway.

Edward popped out of my back seat and I swear, my heart almost jumped out of my rib cage.

"Pull over," he said as the house, and my dad, disappeared behind us. The black inky night engulfed them, the only spots of light were the distantly spaced lamp lights on the road.

"I can drive," I clenched my teeth and gripped my steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. He slid into my passenger seat and sighed before shaking his head.

His long hands unexpectedly gripped my waist, and his foot pushed mine off the gas pedal. He pulled me across his lap, wrenching my hands free of the wheel, and suddenly he was in the driver's seat. The truck didn't swerve an inch. I swear he was like a snake with the way he maneuvered me out of my seat into the passenger's seat.

"You wouldn't be able to find the house," he explained softly. This was true. I hadn't been over to their house as of yet, but I couldn't help feeling that I had to do something more than just take was being thrown at me. I felt the need to do something more useful. I felt the need to _fight_ back.

Lights flared suddenly behind us. I stared out the back window, eyes wide with horror. I reflexively reached for my gun.

"It's just Alice," he reassured me. He patted my hand gently.

I quickly texted my mom informing her about my current predicament. I looked up at Edward's clearly distracted face. I tilted my head, "The tracker?"

"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now," Edward said grimly.

My body went cold and I felt my gun at my hip. I felt a little better knowing that I had some sort of protection on me. I warily murmured, "Can we outrun him?"

"No," he bluntly stated as he sped up; my truck's engine whined in protest.

I stared back at Alice's headlights when my truck shuddered and a dark shadow sprung up outside the window. I whipped out my gun and paused when Edward held the muzzle of the gun, "It's Emmett."

I nodded and pulled my gun back into my holster. I wondered if they doubted that my gun would really do any damaged to them. Feh. They didn't know all my weapons were blessed.

We raced through the quiet town toward the northern highway.

"Why did this happen _now_?" I asked quietly. I figured that I would be tracked down eventually, but...I thought I had more time. I had also foolishly assumed that Edward wouldn't go bat shit crazy kidnapper on me.

He stared blackly at the road ahead and murmured, "It's my fault - I was a fool to expose you like that." I don't think he took in the fact that James had specifically identified me as a Higginbotham. Small blessings, I supposed. My necklace and bracelet still burned against my skin, but at this point...I kind of felt numb to it. My so called protections had failed. What was the point of them if I was already in danger?

"That's not what I meant," I insisted, "I was there, big deal. It didn't bother the other one..."

He hesitated, before sighing, "I got a good look at _all_ their minds tonight...I'm not sure if there's anything anyone one of us could have done to avoid this, once they saw you. It was as if they had finally found something worth hunting..."

He shot me a wary look, "Something in them clicked when they saw you. A familiar smell that they've hunted for a while now, if you had a different scent all together they might not have bothered. However, when I defended you...well, I made it a lot worse. I'm sorry for that. When James saw that I- _**we**_ would challenge him...well suddenly we've presented him with an 'interesting' obstacle. A large clan of strong fighters all bent on protecting the one vulnerable element. You wouldn't believe how euphoric he is now, and in turn, how excited his mate is. It's their favorite game, and we've just made it all the more exciting." His face morphed into one of disgust. It was probably one of the many reasons this coven didn't choose to actively hunt. Huh. It was an interesting revelation.

He paused a moment glaring at the road ahead before he muttered, "I don't think I have any choice but to kill him now. Carlisle won't like it."

I could hear the tires cross the bridge, though I couldn't see the river in the dark. I could definitely hear the sloshing waters that we traveled over though.

I tilted my head and hummed, "How can _**you**_ kill a vampire? I mean. I know I could kill them with any sort of blessed weapon and fire, but how can you do it? The last time I checked, you didn't seem to have any weapons. Or holy water."

He glanced at me with unreadable eyes, "The only way _I_ can do that, without weapons, would be to tear off his head, and then burn every last piece of him. We have retractable claws and lighters are available at almost all gas stations..."

I shuddered at the amount of retractable things they naturally had in their bodies, "Do you think Laurent will join in on the fray?"

He shook his head slowly, "I'm not sure about Laurent. They don't have a very strong bond. It seems like he's only with them for convenience. He was embarrassed by James in the meadow..."

I frowned and looked behind us at the inky darkness that we drove through, "Are they still following?"

"Yes. They won't attack the house, though. Not tonight," he murmured as he turned off onto an invisible drive with Alice following behind.

We drove right up to their house. It was pretty even in the darkness. Tall glass walls adorned a large side of the house. The lights inside were bright, but they did little to alleviate the tendrils of darkness from the surrounding forest. Emmett quickly opened my door before the truck could fully stop; he pulled me out of the seat, tucked me like a football into his vast chest, and sprinted through an open front door.

We burst into a large white room, Edward and Alice at our sides. The rest of their coven was standing there; Laurent in their midst. I heard low growls emanate from Emmett's chest as he set me down next to Edward.

"They're tracking us," Edward announced, glaring balefully at Laurent.

Laurent frowned and sighed, "I was afraid of that."

Alice danced to Jasper's side and whispered into his ear; her lips quivered with the speed of her silent speech. They flew up the stairs together in a blur. Rosalie watched them, and then moved quickly to Emmett's side.

"What will they do?" Dr. Carlisle chillingly asked Laurent.

"I'm sorry," he answered, shooting me with a sheepish look, "When your boy defended her; it set them off. Nothing really stops James and Victoria when they get started."

"We'll stop him and his mate," Emmett sincerely promised, a threatening edge leaked into his voice.

Laurent combed his hand through his hair, "You can't bring him down, or her actually. I've never seen anything like them in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven. His mate is just as bad. She could evade a nuclear missile, if she tried hard enough."

Laurent shook his head, glanced at me, perplexed, and back to Dr. Carlisle. He murmured, "Are you sure she's worth it? Higginbothams don't typically last that long these days. I hear there are only two left. What's one more dead?"

I internally shook. At this point, I couldn't tell if it was due to fear or anger. These were the types of vampires that took down my mother's entire family. I was tempted to throw some holy water onto his face just to see him burn, but Dr. Carlisle seemed to be standing far too close to him. I wondered if they knew what it meant to be a Higginbotham...

Edward's enraged roar filled the room which caused Laurent to cringe back. Emmett hissed at him and Esme moved closer to me. If looks could kill, Laurent would've been fried by Esme's glare.

Dr. Carlisle looked gravely at Laurent, "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice."

Laurent deliberated for a moment. His eyes took in every face, "I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. However, I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James and Victoria. I think I will head north, maybe to that clan in Denali that you mentioned."

He hesitated and shot all of us a wary smile, "Don't underestimate those two. James's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on. Victoria's more of a mystery, but she can be just as brutal as James. I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry. Good bye."

He bowed his head, but I saw him flicker a puzzled look at me. I was glad that he hadn't elaborated on why they were hunting me. I didn't exactly know if the Cullens were okay with me being able to turn them into humans with my blood. I wasn't really sure if they would react badly whenever that news eventually came out.

"Go in peace," was Dr. Carlisle's formal answer.

Laurent took a long look around himself, and then blurred out the door. The silence that he left behind lasted less than a second.

"How close?" Dr. Carlisle glanced at Edward.

Esme blurred over to a nearby wall; her hand touched an inconspicuous keypad beside a small painting of an apple, and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass walls. I gaped and shook my head. Should a zombie apocalypse happen, this would be a pretty good base with all the metal shutters.

Edward looked up at the ceiling, a concentrated look affixed on his face, "About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female."

Esme shot Edward a worried look, "What's the plan?"

"We'll lead him off, and then Jasper and Alice will run her south," Edward pulled on an encouraging smile and nodded at his pseudo mother.

Dr. Carlisle raised a brow at Edward, "And then?"

Edward's tone was deadly, "As soon as Elizabeth is clear, we hunt them."

"I guess there's no other choice then," Dr. Carlisle slowly agreed, his face grim.

Edward turned to Rosalie and commanded, "Get her upstairs and trade clothes."

She stared back at him with livid disbelief. "You're not the boss of me!" she hissed.

She took a step towards him, "This is all _**your**_ fault. If you had listened to me and the human girl, then none of this would've happened. She _doesn't_ like you for a good reason. We've all heard it. You're just so _God damn_ **stubborn** about _always_ getting your way. Damn you."

I internally flinched back from the venom in her voice. She was mostly right. I still kind of didn't like him, but at the same time...well...he was family, albeit the undead version. And creepy. And possessive. Why was I here again?

"Rose...," Emmett murmured as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off and crossed her arms steadily glaring at Edward. It almost looked as though she were challenging him to do something about her disagreeing with him.

He looked away from Rosalie as if she hadn't spoken, and sighed.

"Esme?" he asked calmly.

"Of course," Esme murmured.

Esme was at my side in half a heartbeat, swinging me up easily into her arms, and dashing up the stairs before I could gasp in shock.

"What are we doing?" I asked breathlessly as she set me down in a dark room somewhere off their second-story hall.

"Trying to mask your scent somewhat. It won't work for long, but it might help get you out," she gently said. Soon after she said that, I heard her clothes fall onto the floor. I was wary about trading clothes. For one, it hid my weapons. Besides that, I didn't really want to explain why I had the aforementioned weapons on me in the first place. I hoped that she wouldn't ask any questions. I stepped out of my boots as I sighed slightly.

I heard her tut while I took off my jacket, hoodie, and jeans. I shrugged, "They help in making me feel safe..."

She handed me something, it felt like a thick sweater. I smiled as I pulled it on, "Thanks for not saying anything."

I heard her chuckle in the darkness, "If it makes you feel safer, dear. That's alright with me, but you know...only blessed weapons can really damage us."

I nodded and stuck my bottle of holy water in between my breasts. This sweater didn't have pockets like my hoodie did. As soon as I was done she handed me her slacks. I yanked them on and deftly rolled the hems a few times so I could stand. I slipped on my boots and she pulled me back to the stairs; she was already wearing my clothes. They looked strange on her, but then again, this whole evening was pretty strange. I was a bit weirded out that my mom hadn't texted back. I thought an emergency like this would, at least, warrant a phone call. Alice appeared on the stairs, a small leather bag in one hand. They each grabbed one of my elbows and half-carried me as they flew down the stairs.

It appeared that everything had been settled downstairs in our absence. Edward and Emmett seemed ready to leave. Emmett carried a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder while Dr. Carlisle handed something small to Esme. He turned and handed Alice the same thing - it was a tiny silver cell phone.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Elizabeth," he told me as he passed. I nodded, glancing warily at Rosalie. She glowered at Dr. Carlisle with a resentful expression.

He turned to the others, "Alice, Jasper, you two take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south."

They nodded in sync.

"We're taking the Jeep," he murmured as he glanced at Edward.

"Alice, will they take the bait?" Dr. Carlisle asked

Everyone watched Alice as she closed her eyes and became incredibly still. I wondered how reliable her powers were, since they didn't work too well the last time she looked into a possible problem.

Alice's eyes opened and she confidently stated, "He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that."

"Let's go," Dr. Carlisle walked towards the kitchen at a sedate pace.

Edward flashed to my side at once. He caught me in his iron grip, and lifted me up into a suffocating hug. He seemed unaware of his watching family as he gently planted a kiss on my forehead. Then it was over. He set me down, his dark red eyes burning into mine. His eyes went blank, curiously dead, as he turned away, and then he and Dr. Carlisle were gone.

I stood there, blinking rapidly. I really couldn't understand Edward. I shook my head and sighed. The silent moment dragged on, and suddenly Esme's phone vibrated in her hand. It flashed to her ear.

"Now," she said glancing at the rest of us. Rosalie stalked out the front door sparing me a pitying glance.

Esme gently touched my cheek as she passed, "Be safe." Her hand felt lukewarm, much like the room, but the warmth in her eyes was palpable. As she disappeared past the doorway, I heard my truck start thunderously, and then fade away.

Jasper and Alice waited, Alice's phone at her ear before it buzzed. She answered it quickly before nodding towards me, "Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car."

She vanished into the shadows into another part of their house.

Jasper and I looked at each other. He stood across the length of the entryway from me eyeing me carefully.

"You're wrong, you know," he said quietly.

"What?" I frowned, shooting him a confused look.

He smiled kindly, "I can feel what you're feeling now, and you shouldn't be scared. Everything will be fine. Just trust us."

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of my mouth before I clamped my hand over my mouth. I shook my head and took a deep calming breath, "I'm not. Besides, even if I am. I _just_ met you all. I think I have the right to be scared when I'm putting my life in the hands of other vampires that could equally kill and eat me."

He shrugged, "You're wrong. Just wait and see."

Alice stepped through the front door and came towards me with her arms held out.

"May I?" she asked me, a slight smile adorned his lips.

"You're the only one that bothered to ask," I chuckled wryly before I nodded. She lifted me in her slender arms as easily as Emmett had, shielding me protectively, and then we flew out the door, leaving the lights bright behind us. I wondered why they didn't bother to ask me why Victoria and James kept calling me a Higginbotham. I inwardly pushed that thought away...Hopefully none of this would blow up in my face.


	20. Chapter 20

**20\. Danger**

When I woke up, I was deeply confused. My thoughts felt foggy, twisted up in dreams and nightmares, and it took me longer than it should have to realize where I was. I sat up and palmed my phone. My mom had texted me back:

"I'll cover for you, if your father asks. Stay safe, and shoot the motherfuckers in the head if they come near you. I love you. Phil and I have traveled to one of the more isolated safe houses, yes we have safe houses, just in case those psychos come after us too. Text me when they're dead. We'll pick you up and take you back to La Push if all goes according to your plan. The necklace makes it so that they can't easily find and chomp on you darling; it doesn't make you invisible if the vampires have _already_ found you."

I rolled my eyes. You would think that my protective jewelry would be better by the twenty first century. I shrugged and quickly tapped in my reply:

"Stay safe yourself, mom. I love you too. Ten four on that, big boss. I'll message you back as soon as I can."

I pocketed my phone and looked around my new surroundings. When had I gotten here? I scratched at my head and frowned. This room was far too simple and coordinated to belong anywhere but in a hotel. The bedside lamps, bolted to the tables, were a dead giveaway, as were the long drapes made from the same fabric as the bedspread, and the generic watercolor prints on the walls. No edge of light escaped the thick curtains, and the room was bright with the light from the lamps.

I tried to remember how I got here, but nothing came at first. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and leaned against the headboard. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I did remember a sleek black car, with darkly tinted windows, darker than what was legal. The engine had been eerily silent, though we'd raced across the black freeways at double the legal speed.

I remembered Alice sitting with me on the dark leather backseat. Somehow, during the long night, my head had ended up against her cool neck. My closeness didn't seem to bother her at all, and her cool skin was oddly comforting. She reminded me of the cool side of the pillow that I usually favored, minus the whole being able to eat me part.

Sleep had evaded me during the ride through the highway even as dawn had broken over a low peak somewhere in California. I had been far too tense to sleep. The thought of either of the hunters gaining on us, weighed heavily on my mind. The gray light, streaked across the cloudless sky, and the scenery blurred at an unpleasant rate during the drive.

I tried to rest my eyes, but I couldn't close them. Every time that I did, images flashed all too vividly inside of my head. They were like still slides behind my eyeballs, and it was unbearable. I could see Victoria and James feasting on my torn body with their bloodied scary teeth. My dad and mom's broken expressions as they looked over my fresh grave. Edward's brutal snarl, teeth bared right before he gets killed by James. Alice dropping like a rag doll from getting eviscerated. Jacob screaming as he finds my dead bleeding body. They were nightmarish images, and even though I knew that they weren't true...I couldn't stand to see them. I fought against my weariness as the sun rose higher.

I was still awake when we came through a shallow mountain pass and the sun, behind us now, reflected off the tiled rooftops of the Valley of the Sun. I didn't have enough emotion left to be surprised that we'd made a three-day journey in one without getting caught by the cops. I stared blankly at the wide, flat expanse laid out in front of me. Phoenix; the palm trees, the scrubby creosote, and the haphazard lines of the intersecting freeways. I traced the green swaths of golf courses and turquoise splotches of swimming pools, all submerged in a thin smog and embraced by the short, rocky ridges that weren't really big enough to be called mountains, with my eyes. It was sort of nice to be back...I just wished it was on better terms.

The shadows of the palm trees that slanted across the freeway were defined, sharper than I remembered, paler than they should be. Nothing could hide in these shadows. The bright, open freeway seemed benign enough. Still, I felt no relief, not when the sun would only burn them. I guilty wished that the sun could burn vampires into a crisp.

"Which way to the airport, Eliza?" Jasper gently asked, glancing back at us.

"Stay on the I-ten," I answered automatically. For a brief moment I thought about if I was right. I shook off my doubt and added, "We'll pass right by it." My brain worked slowly through the fog of sleep deprivation. I wasn't really good at not going without sleep for too long, so this wasn't exactly fun for me.

"Are we flying somewhere?" I asked Alice, after I had registered that Jasper wanted directions to the airport.

Alice shook her head and sweetly smiled at me, "No, but it's better to be close, just in case."

I remembered beginning the loop around Sky Harbor International, but not ending it. I supposed that must have been when I'd fallen asleep.

Though, now that I'd chased the memories down, I did have a vague impression of leaving the car. The sun had gone down the horizon, my arm draped over Alice's shoulder and her arm firm around my waist, as she dragged me along as I stumbled through the warm, dry shadows. I could hear the slight sizzle of her arms as the last rays of the sun ignited her skin.

I had no memory of this room though. I looked at my phone again, frowning when I found that I only had fifteen percent battery life left. My phone claimed it was three o'clock in the morning. I rose stiffly and staggered to the window, pulling back the drapes. It was dark outside and the sky was clear. It was a deep navy blue against the airport lights. My room looked out on a deserted section of the freeway and the new long-term parking garage for the airport.

I looked down at myself. Esme's clothes were rumbled and felt sticky against my skin. I made a disgusted look at myself, and searched around the room for my bag. It sat on top of the low dresser. I didn't recall bringing it with me, but I was grateful that it was there either way.

I was on my way to find new clothes when a light tap on the door made me jump.

"Can I come in?" Alice asked through the door.

I took a deep breath and shook my limbs out, "Sure." I was really glad that I hadn't taken off my shirt before she had asked to come in. It wasn't that I was afraid to undress in front of her, but more so that I was afraid she would take my weapons from me.

She walked in, and looked me over cautiously. "You look like you could sleep longer," she said tapping her forefinger on her chin.

I just shook my head and brought out a pair of jeans and a dark pink hoodie. I waited for Alice to leave, but instead she drifted silently to the curtains and closed them securely before turning back to me.

"We'll need to stay inside," she told me firmly. That much was obvious. It wasn't like there would be enough clouds to protect them here. I would think that out here, in Phoenix, they would be baked into barbecue faster than you could say kiss the cook.

"Okay," I intoned, my voice was hoarse. I rose a brow and coughed out slightly. My lips felt dry and cracked. When was the last time I had a drink of water?

"Thirsty?" she asked, fishing out a water bottle for me from the mini fridge in the corner.

I nodded and gratefully took the water bottle from her. I chugged it down and warily looked at her, "Thanks. How about you?"

"Nothing unmanageable," she cracked a soft grin, "I ordered some food for you, it's in the front room. Edward reminded me that you have to eat a lot more frequently than we do." Well at least there was that.

I placed down my water bottle and mumbled, "Thanks."

She nodded and led me through the door into the living room of the hotel suite. I could hear a low buzz of voices emanating from the TV. Jasper sat motionlessly at the desk in the corner vacantly staring at the news.

I sat on the floor next to the coffee table, where a tray of food waited, and gratefully inhaled the pasta and chicken that lay on the plate.

Alice perched on the arm of the sofa and stared blankly at the TV like Jasper.

I chewed my food slowly, when I began to notice that they were eerily still. They never looked away from the screen, unblinking. I pushed my half finished tray away, my stomach abruptly uneasy. Alice looked down at me, raising her brow.

I frowned, "What's wrong, Alice?"

"Nothing's wrong," her eyes widened, as she fluttered her eyelashes. I pulled down the urge to scowl.

I nodded and pushed my food around my nearby plate, "Alright. Fine. What do we do now?"

Jasper softly spoke, "We wait for Carlisle to call."

"And should he have called by now?" I tilted my head and saw the sides of Alice's eyes crinkle. She pulled on an entirely hollow smile. So that explains it.

Alice's eyes flitted from mine to the phone on top of her leather bag and back. She sucked in an unnecessary breath and shook her head, "He just hasn't called yet. That's all."

"What does that mean?" I lowly asked, as I abruptly stopped playing with my uneaten meal.

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us," her voice was far too even, and her expression was far too plastic to mean anything good. Fear surged through me for a moment as I ran through the possibilities of what could have happened.

Jasper was suddenly beside Alice, much closer to me than usual.

"Eliza," he said in a suspiciously soothing voice, "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I suppose," I looked up at him and frowned.

"Then why are you frightened?" he asked, confusion marred his face.

I let out a deep patient breath, "I don't know if I can really trust you guys. If you take in the facts, Edward roped you guys into _kidnapping_ me. Sure, the reasons for running are valid, but we only went somewhere that _Edward_ _approved_ of. That fact _alone_ is kind of scary. Not to mention that all of this started because some psycho vampires want to kill me for being a Higginbotham."

"Higginbothams aren't real, Eliza. They're just a myth ancient vampires had about humans that could turn vampires back into humans. They say the last ones died out decades ago," he interrupted me, his words pouring out in rapid succession. Now that was just bullshit. Did they really not know?

"You're worrying about all the wrong things, Eliza. Trust me on this. Sure, we may have kidnapped you, but it was for your own good. Edward's volatile, right now...and that's why we're doing what he wants. You should calm down," he firmly ordered, a southern drawl twanging as he spoke.

"But Higginbothams aren't a myth -" I protested weakly.

Alice interrupted this time, touching my cheek with her delicate fingers, "Yes they are. Don't worry. I give you my solemn vow that nothing will hurt you. You are the _first_ friend that Edward has made in _centuries_. One that can actually stand him long enough not to try and kill him, at least. Now that he's found you...well you can't see the changes that we've see, but he's gotten better at not being a shit-head. You're safe with us. Besides, do you really think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

My worry slowly subsided as I looked into her maroon eyes. It was comforting to also be able to see the whites of her eyes, and that she had normal looking teeth so far. However, even as the calm spread over me, I knew I couldn't really trust my feelings with Jasper in the same room. I waffled on the decision as to whether or not I should tell them that they _really_ were **wrong**. I was a Higginbotham, and proud of it, even if that meant getting into a shit ton of danger for it.

We stayed in the room all day and I managed to find ways to amuse myself. I messed around on my phone and surfed the web with the free wifi available in our suite. When I got bored, I cleaned my gun. This got me strange looks from Alice, but Jasper happily chatted with me about the different types of guns that appeared throughout history. Turned out, he was both a history buff and a gun enthusiast. If he'd been human, I bet my dad, Jacob, and Quil would've loved talking about _all_ that stuff with him too.

Later on in the day, Alice called down to the front desk and asked them to ignore our maid service for now. The curtains stayed firmly shut, and they left the TV on, though none of us bothered to watch it. At regular intervals, food was delivered for me. I felt better every hour, but at the same time...my anxiety started to gnaw at my bones. The silver phone resting on Alice's bag seemed to grow bigger as the hours passed.

My babysitters handled the suspense better than I did. As I eventually succumbed to fidgeting and pacing around the room, they simply grew more still. They were like two statues whose eyes followed me imperceptibly as I moved. It creeped me the fuck out, and eerily reminded me of the dangers of the weeping angels.

As the afternoon wore on, I went back to bed, simply for something to do. I napped, but nightmares came to me instead of a blank peaceful plane. The pain in my legs flared up now and again; I think that stress was triggering it at this point. I took a couple of my T3's and manged to get some, delightfully dream free, sleep from that.

When I woke up from my nap, I noted that I had sprawled on the bed like a starfish. Alice sat, legs folded, next to me. I found it strange that she had just been watching me sleep. It was kind of creepy. I ignored her at first, but after a few minutes she wouldn't quit staring at me.

"Alice?" I asked her as I pulled myself into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed.

"Yes?" she shot me a serene smile, one that vaguely reminded me of Luna Lovegood. My irritation melted away and I couldn't find the energy to really get mad at her.

I tilted my head and lazily asked, "What do you think they're doing?"

Alice hummed thoughtfully before she stated, "Carlisle wanted to lead the tracker as far north as possible, wait for him to get close, and then turn and ambush him. Esme and Rosalie were supposed to head west as long as they could keep the female behind them. If she turned around, they were to head back to Forks and keep an eye on your dad. I imagine things are going well if they can't call. It means that the tracker is close enough that they don't want him to overhear."

I nodded, "Huh. And Esme?"

Alice placed a forefinger on her bottom lip, "I think she must be back in Forks. She won't call if there's any chance the female will overhear. I expect they're all just being very careful."

I cracked my back and slouched, "Do you think they're safe?" They were the undead, certainly. However, at the same time...they were pretty nice for bloodsucking vampires. As much as I wanted the other vampires to spontaneously combust, I really didn't want anything like that to happen to these 'people'.

"There's no danger in this for us, Eliza," Alice muttered thoughtfully. She shot me a friendly smile, "Is there anything else you want to know or talk about? I bet this is all dreadfully boring for you."

I shrugged and tilted my head towards her, "Would you tell me the truth?"

"Yes. I will always tell you the truth," she sounded incredibly earnest, and I couldn't help but believe her.

I deliberated for a moment, and decided why the hell not. I scooted closer to her and pulled on a shit eating grin onto my face, "How do you become a vampire?"

My question caught her off guard. She shot me a distressed look and clicked her mouth shut. She shook her head and firmly stated, "Edward doesn't want me to tell you that."

My face soured and I protested, "That's not fair. I think I have a right to know."

"I know," Alice sighed.

I looked at her, patiently waiting for her to crack. It would be useful to know even if I could never really join the undead club via vampire bite.

She pouted, "He'll be extremely angry."

I shrugged and bumped her stiff shoulder, "It's none of his business, really. This is between you and me. Alice, as my friend, I'm begging you." And I hoped we could be friends. If I had to choose a vampire friend, I would definitely choose Alice...even if she was kind of pushy. At least she wasn't nutty or dangerously possessive.

She looked at me with a smile that made her maroon eyes sparkle, "I'll tell you the mechanics of it, but I don't remember it myself. I've never done it or seen it done, so keep in mind that I can only tell you the theory."

I nodded. My family tome didn't really say much about the transformation aspect and I couldn't find hard evidence on Google. That alone made me curious enough to figure out the mechanics alone.

She stared out into space and quietly stated, "As predators, we have a bevy of natural weapons in our arsenal to ensnare our prey. Improved strength, speed, senses, and not to mention those of us like Edward, Jasper, and I, who have 'bonus abilities' as well. We're kind of like a carnivorous flower in our appearance in order to lure in perspective prey." That didn't really tell me how they transformed, but it was good to get a refresher on how dangerous they could be.

She retracted her scary wendigo fangs and I stilled suddenly as I recalled my previous nightmare involving very similar teeth. Her smile was ominous as she continued, "We're also venomous. The venom isn't meant to kill our prey immediately - it's merely incapacitating. It works slowly, spreading through the bloodstream, so that, once bitten, our prey is in too much physical pain to escape us. You know what happens next after that.

However, if the venom is left to spread, and the human hasn't been eaten...then it takes a few days for the transformation to be complete. Now this is all depending on how much venom is in the bloodstream, and how close the venom enters to the heart. As long as the heart keeps beating, the poison spreads, healing, changing the body as it moves through it. Eventually the heart stops, and the conversion is finished. All that time, every minute of it, a victim would be wishing for death. On my travels, one vampire described it to be your very atoms getting pulled apart by a deadly virus that will never leave. It's not pleasant, you see."

I shivered at that thought, and I thought that getting my legs broken had been painful. That sounded like a lot more pain than any normal mortal could handle. Pain that could probably drive some people crazy. I idly wondered how my ancestors blood could change and or remove that virus. I wondered if it was like an antidote or something. I'd have to further read my family tome when I wasn't around any vampires. Maybe read it down in La Push.

"For everyone else, the pain of transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their last moments as a human. For some reason, I can't recall any of my human life," her voice was wistful.

"Why do you think you don't remember?" I bit my lower lip and furrowed my brows. If one vampire recalled, then why couldn't she?

Alice looked past me for a moment and shrugged, a helpless smile clung to her lips, "I don't know."

I nodded and sheepishly scratched at the back of my neck, "I'm sorry."

She waved off my apology, "It's not your fault. Is there anything else you wanted to know?

I puffed out my cheeks and blew out some air, "Why do you guys keep insisting that Higginbothams aren't real?" The last time I had checked, I was real and so was my family.

"Because, much like the cold virus, the vampire virus is hard to really pin down and kill. The only way you could do that was with a curse that died out with the Higginbotham line. They were the only vampires that had ever been cursed to become humans again. This was after their coven had ravaged a village of witches centuries ago. The cursed spell died with those witches too. Even if there were _any_ Higginbothams alive today, I really doubt that they would be anywhere near vampires if they could help it," Alice rapidly stated.

I coughed into my hand and blushed fiercely. She was right. I wouldn't be around them if I could help it at all. I contemplated on trying to prove to her that I was really a Higginbotham, by showing her my pendant and bracelet.

The seconds ticked by, and then without any warning, Alice leaped from the bed, landing lightly on her feet. My head jerked up as I stared at her, startled. Well I guess I'll just tell them at a later date.

"Something's changed," her voice trembled as she looked out into space. She reached the door at the same time Jasper did. He had obviously overheard our conversation and her sudden exclamation. He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her back to the other bed, sitting her on the edge.

"What do you see?" he asked intently, as he stared into her eyes and pulled his hand through her short spikes. Her eyes were unfocused on something very far away.

I walked over to her and manged to catch her low, quick voice, "I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold... a gold bar across the mirrors."

Jasper whispered, "Where is the room?"

Alice frowned and narrowed her eyes, "I don't know. Something is missing - another decision hasn't been made yet."

Jasper leaned back and clenched his jaw, "How much time?"

Alice shook her head, "It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."

Jasper sighed and nodded, "What is he doing?"

Alice made a sour face, "He's watching TV... no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place." I raised a brow. Where the hell did he get a VCR? I thought no one ever used those any more.

"Can you see where he is?" Jasper probed.

"No, it's too dark," Alice let out a frustrated breath.

"And the mirror room, what else is there?" Jasper asked.

"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's went all the way around the room, and there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits," her eyes drifted, then focused on Jasper's face.

"There's nothing else?" Jasper raised a brow.

She shook her head. They looked at each other, motionless.

"What does that mean?" I asked as I frowned at the two of them. That place sounded vaguely familiar for some reason.

Neither of them answered for a moment, then Jasper looked at me. He looked over me with calculating eyes before slowly stating, "It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room."

I nodded, "But we don't know where those rooms are?"

"No," Alice glanced up at me and motioned for me to sit by her. I easily complied.

She patted my hand and weakly said, "We _do_ know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them somehow."

The tiny silver phone rang, and Alice was across the room before I could lift my head to look at it.

She pushed a button and held the phone to her ear, but she didn't speak first.

"Carlisle," she breathed. She paused for a moment and glanced at me.

Alice hummed and softly said, "Yes, I just saw him." She then described the vision she'd seen.

She bit the bottom of her lip as she said, "Whatever made him get on that plane... it was leading him to those rooms."

She paused. "Yes," Alice muttered and then she glanced at me.

"Eliza?" she held the phone out toward me and I obligingly took it.

"Hello?" I carefully intoned.

"Eliza," Edward warily said.

I let out a dry chuckle, "How's it going?"

"It's not funny, Eliza," he sighed in frustration.

I shrugged and nodded, "Alright. Fine. How _is_ it going though?"

He let out a slight huff, "We're outside of Vancouver. I'm sorry, but we lost him. He seemed suspicious of us. He was careful enough to stay just far enough away so I wasn't hear what he was thinking. His trail is cold now. It looks as though he got on a plane. We think he might be heading back to Forks to start over."

I heard Alice filling in Jasper behind me, her quick words blurring together into a humming noise. I sighed, "Yeah, I know. Alice saw that he got away and told me earlier."

Edward let out a nervous laugh, "You don't have to worry, though. He won't find anything to lead him to you. You just have to stay there and wait till we find him again."

I sincerely doubted that, but I wasn't going to squash his beliefs. Not now any ways. I waved away his worry, "I'll be fine. Is Esme with Charlie?"

"Yes - the female has been in town. She went to the house, but while Charlie was at work. She hasn't gone near him, so don't be afraid. He's safe with Esme and Rosalie watching," he rapidly said.

"What is she doing?" I thoughtfully hummed. I had really hoped that they would've caught her and torn her to pieces now. Out of the two vampires...she scared me the most.

Edward casually stated, "Probably trying to pick up the trail. She's been all through the town during the night. Rosalie traced her through the airport, all the roads around town, the school... she's digging, but there's nothing to find."

A frown deeply furrowed my brows, "And you're absolutely certain that my dad is safe?" Even if they were trying to keep me safe...should anything happen to my dad...I would go and shoot every goddamn vampire involved in any accident with him. Friend or not.

"Yes, Esme won't let him out of her sight. And we'll be there soon. If the tracker gets anywhere near Forks, we'll have him," he simply said.

"Thanks," I whispered sincerely.

"You're very welcome," he warmly stated. A pregnant pause came over the line for a moment before Edward hurriedly said, "I'll come for you soon."

I raised a brow, "Okay?"

Soon enough the line went dead, and I turned to give the phone back to Alice. I found her and Jasper bent over the table, where Alice was sketching on a piece of hotel stationery. I placed the phone beside her piece of paper and leaned on the back of the couch, looking over her shoulder.

She drew a room: long, rectangular, with a thinner, square section at the back. The wooden planks that made up the floor stretched lengthwise across the room. Down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors. Wrapping around the walls, was a waist high, a long bar. The bar that Alice had said was gold.

"It's a ballet studio," I declared, suddenly recalling the familiar shapes. I could recognize that kind of place anywhere. Both for good and bad reasons.

They looked at me, surprised.

"Do you recognize this room?" Jasper's voice sounded calm, but there was an undercurrent of panic.

Alice bent her head to her work, her hand flew across the page now, the shape of an emergency exit taking shape against the back wall, the stereo and TV on a low table by the front right corner.

I nodded, "It looks like a place I used to go for dance lessons. I was about six when I started. It was shaped just the same."

I touched the page where the square section jutted out, narrowing the back part of the room. A slow smile tugged at my lips, "That's where the bathrooms were. I was always the safest in that bathroom because they had locks on their floor to ceiling doors. The stupid kids that bullied me never thought to look there. Those other doors were through the other dance floor. There was a stereo over here though."

I paused and pointed to where Alice had drawn the TV, "There wasn't a TV there. There was a window in the waiting room and you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it." It was great learning how to dance and stretch. The girls were bitchy little kids, but eh. I didn't last too long in ballet anyways.

Alice and Jasper stared hard at me. I flinched internally. I suppose it wouldn't be time to walk down memory lane.

"Are you sure it's the same room?" Jasper asked, eerily calm.

I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled nervously, "No, not at all - I suppose most dance studios would look the same - the mirrors, the bar...it's just the shape that looked familiar."

"Would you have any reason to go there now?" Alice warily asked, searching my eyes.

I shook my head, "Nope, I haven't been there in almost six years. I wasn't that great of a dancer, plus some of the girls bullied me...so I didn't really have much of a reason to continue practicing."

"So there's no way it could be connected with you?" Alice questioned intently.

I bit my lower lip, "No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere." There was a voice in my head that told me I was wrong. With my luck it would be same dance studio I used to go to as a child.

"Where was the studio you went to?" Jasper casually asked, giving me a sickly sweet smile.

I reeled back slightly and frowned, "It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school..." I didn't miss the look they exchanged after they had taken in my sentence.

"Here in Phoenix, then?" he rolled on his feet slightly.

"Yes," I muttered, "Fifty-eighth Street and Cactus."

We all sat in silence, staring at the drawing for a moment.

I settled into the sofa, and nibbled on a plate of leftover fruit, while I scrolled through my Facebook feed. I texted my parents that I was safe. My dad sent me a picture of a fish that he had recently caught and that he was alright. He asked about my mom, and I said she had just a broken wrist from the accident. He sent me a rolling eye emoji and said to get my butt home as soon as I could.

I was tempted to call my mom, but I knew that my two vampire babysitters would be able to hear anything I said to her. Instead, I just waited for her reply. It didn't take long for my mom to reply.

She sent me a laughing emoji: "You sure got yourself into a pickle. I'm kind of glad that they don't believe you're a Higginbotham, sweets. We don't really know if they're the whole 'pro-life' version of vampires, now do we? I know poor taste, but give your old mom a break. Do they have you locked up in a cadge?"

I rolled my eyes and sent her a frowny face: "Is a hotel room considered a cadge? It still irritates me that they don't believe me though. Do you think I'll be okay?"

Her next text surprised me: "Put in your headphones."

I made a face, but fished out my headphones and plugged them into my phone.

The next text she sent me was a voice recording. I smiled. I really did need to hear my mom's voice right now.

"Sweets, you will be fine. Your godbrother Jacob showed me a video of one of your attempts at their makeshift shooting range. You need more practice, and this'll be just what you need to practice _that_. Try not to miss when you do shoot, okay? You are a tough cookie, and I don't doubt that you'll get out of this alive. If you don't I'll bring you back from the dead and kill you myself, you hear? I love you more than a million sparkly shoes."

I smiled against the stress that bared down on me. I quietly mouthed a silent thank you as I hid in the tub of my hotel room. Alice knocked on the door and asked if everything was okay.

I lifted my head and tucked my phone away into my bra before calling out, "Yeah. I'm fine." I swallowed one of my T3's with some tap water before getting comfortable in my tub. It was nice and I finally had some privacy away from my babysitters. I must have fallen asleep in the tub because the touch of Alice's surprisingly cold hands woke me briefly as she carried me to the bed. I was unconscious again before my head hit the pillow. I blissfully didn't have any nightmares again.


	21. Chapter 21

**21\. Deception**

I turned and buried my head into my pillow. When I looked at my charging phone, I saw that it was one in the morning. I sighed and placed my phone back beside my head. I was getting the schedule of my days and nights slowly reversed. I puffed out my cheeks and leaned up on my elbows. It would be a bitch to change up my sleeping schedule, should I live through this. I defeatedly slumped back down and and listened to the quiet voices of Alice and Jasper in the other room. They were loud enough for me to hear today. I idly wondered why they had let down their guard. I plucked my phone off of it's charger and rolled till my feet touched the floor. I staggered to the living room as I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.

Alice and Jasper were sitting together on the sofa. Alice sketched again as Jasper looked over her shoulder. They didn't look up when I entered, and I assumed that they were too engrossed in Alice's work.

I crept to Jasper's side to peek and quietly asked, "Did she see something more?"

He nodded, "Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR, but it's light now."

I avidly watched as Alice drew a square room with dark beams across its low ceiling. The walls were paneled in wood, a little too dark, out of date. The floor had a dark carpet with a pattern in it. There was a large window against the south wall, and an opening through the west wall led to the living room. One side of that entrance was stone - a large stone fireplace that was open to both rooms. The focus of the room from this perspective was a large flat TV and wii, balanced on a too-small wooden stand, in the southwest corner of the room. An aged sectional sofa curved around in front of the TV, a round coffee table in front of it. Dread pooled into my stomach as I took in this new picture.

I cringed and pointed to a side table that was still bare in her picture, "The phone goes there."

Two pairs of dark red eyes stared at me. I reeled back slightly and shook my head. I bit an inner portion of my cheek and muttered, "That's my mother's house."

Alice was already off the couch, phone in hand, dialing. I stared at the precise rendering of my mother's family room. Jasper moved uncomfortably closer to me. He lightly touched his hand to my shoulder, and the physical contact seemed to make his calming influence stronger. The panic that had surged in my stomached dull, and became unfocused.

I was worried as fuck, even though I knew that my mum and Phil were safely away from my childhood home. It was still disturbing to know that some psycho vampire was willing to get sizzled in the sun just to get at me. I idly wondered if James knew that my mother was a Higginbotham too. I honestly doubted that he would be able to catch her though. She had evaded any magical beings for seventeen years without a whiff of them finding us. I should probably ask her how she managed to pull that off when I had the chance.

Alice's lips trembled with the speed of her words, her low buzzing impossible to decipher. I sighed and tried my best to figure out what she was saying over the phone. I hoped that it was some sort of backup plan that involved ending this entire crazy hullabaloo.

"Eliza, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while," Alice stated, a deep frown marred her face.

I shook my head and firmly stated, "He came here for my mother, Alice. It's obvious that he'll use anyone that matters anything to me to lure me into trap." Besides that, I didn't really want to be kidnapped again. Especially since, the other kidnappers probably wouldn't be as chill as these two.

Alice sighed, "Jasper and I will stay till she's safe." That wouldn't really help since I knew she was gone and far from any danger. Still.

I tried a different approach, "And what if you get hurt, Alice? Do you think that's okay with me?"

Alice looked meaningfully at Jasper. A deep, heavy fog of lethargy washed over me, and my eyes closed without my permission. My mind struggled against the fog, when I realized what was happening. I forced my eyes open and stood up, stepping away from Jasper's hand.

I shot a gimlet glare at Jasper and spat, "You can't make me go to sleep just because I said something that you didn't like."

I marched into my room and firmly closed the door behind me. The nerve of those two. Just because I said something that didn't agree with their perfect little plan...at least Alice didn't follow me. I immediately headed into my bathroom and plonked myself down into my tub. I rapidly texted my mum, a pout firmly affixed on my face:

"Mum. They want to send me to a different location since the tracker coming after me went through your house. The only good thing is, that they haven't taken away my gun or dagger. I don't think that they know the water bottle I carry contains holy water."

My phone vibrated immediately with her response:

"Let the stupid leech look. He won't find anything and I was smart enough to put a bit of magical incense on before we left. The only thing that our house smells like is dog, and they hate that smell. If you feel the need to escape, just douse your captors with holy water in the face, darling. I'm sure it'll incapacitate them."

I bit my lip and nodded. I felt a modicum of relief sway through me, "How'd you manage to hide me and you away from any magical beings, like vampires, for seventeen years? Also, I don't think I can do that. I'm actually starting to like some of them, against my better judgment."

I waited a little while and scrolled through Imgur and Facebook while my mum took her sweet time. When thirty minutes had passed I plugged in my headphones and watched binge watched How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.

My phone suddenly vibrated in the middle of Barney and Robin's wedding. I opened up my phone tabs and tapped on my mum's message:

"Well that's lame. I guess you'll have to think of something else than, sweets. I kept us safe from _dangerous_ magicals. Our neighbor, Mrs. Fitzgerald, the one who taped all your ballet recitals. You know the one with the VCR?"

I looked up at my bathroom ceiling and thought about it for a moment before replying: "Yup. I remember her. She always dressed like she was colorblind and back in the seventies all the time." Even though she dressed far too strangely for my tastes, she was one of the nicest old ladies I had ever encountered.

My mum sent me a text in less than a second: "Lol. Well, she's a witch and a good friend of mine. She helped put some protections on our house so none of the baddies would find us. The necklace, that you currently wear, also helps keep most vampires, that are unfamiliar with our family's scent, stay away. Besides that, if you go and fiddle around and find the browser Duckluck on the internet that can take you to a magical craigslist. Well kind of like craigslist, but less shady. Those stones that I liked putting around the house did have a purpose. As did all the little squiggles that I wrote on the tags on your clothes. ;)"

I looked at her text again and tried to absorb it all. Huh. So...well...damn. I pulled my hoodie off and looked at the tag, and sure enough, there were strange little squiggles on it. I took a photo of it with my phone and sent it to my mum along with my text:

"Thanks, mum. What's this mean?"

I pulled my hoodie on again and tried to sort out all this new information in my head. Her next text message came just as fast as the last one:

"Oh! That's just a couple of protection runes that I had Mrs. Fitzgerald enchant on all your clothes. I made doubly sure that they were working before you left. It basically means good luck and a safe journey. I don't know if they're working though since those trackers did find you...but on the other hand...somethings just can't be helped I suppose. I love you, sweetheart."

I blinked rapidly. That was probably why Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett had come out unscathed when it came to Victoria. I sighed and tapped in my reply:

"Thanks mum. I love you too and hopefully I'll see you soon."

I swiped the message away and sighed. I decided to watch a couple more episodes of How I Met Your Mother before I went back into that front room to face them. A couple hours flew by and I stretched out of the bath tub.

When I returned to the front room, a little ashamed of my behavior, I was still mad at what they tried to do. I still thought what they tried to do was wrong, but at the same time...I probably shouldn't have walked away and explained why I was hurt.

The phone rang and Alice was talking as rapidly as ever, but what caught my attention was that, for the first time, Jasper was not in the room. I looked at the wall clock - it was five-thirty in the morning.

She shot me a slight smile, "They're just boarding their plane. They'll land at nine-forty-five."

I nodded and looked around the room, "Where's Jasper?"

"He went to check out," she stated as she pocketed her tiny silver cell phone.

I tilted my head and curiously looked at her, "You aren't staying here?"

She shook her head, "No, we're relocating closer to your mother's house."

My stomach twisted uneasily at her words. That honestly didn't seem like a good idea, but before I could protest her phone rang again, distracting me.

She answered it and looked moderately surprised, "Hello?"

Her face soured slightly, "No, she's right here." She held the phone out to me. Your mother, she mouthed wordlessly.

I raised my brow at that, "Hello?" I knew it couldn't be my mum. I had just spoken to her moments again, and I was certain that she and Phil were safe. Could vampires imitate people's voices? I shivered at that possible skill.

"Eliza? Eliza?" my mum's familiar voice called out. It was a tone that I had heard a thousand times in my childhood. The same tone that she used anytime I'd gotten too close to the edge of the sidewalk or strayed out of her sight in a crowded place. It was the sound of panic. I shook my head. My mum was safe, but I would play along with this sick fucker's game. Right until I had the perfect shot that is.

"Calm down, mum. What's wrong?" I calmly asked as I slowly walked away from Alice.

I paused, and waited for his trap to spring, "Hello?"

"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to," a sickeningly familiar stated. It was the same pleasant tenor that James had when he had been talking to Carlisle. I idly wondered why he didn't decide to mask his voice.

He rapidly continued, "Now, I don't need to hurt your mother, so please do exactly as I say, and she'll be fine." He paused for a minute while I listened in, rolling my eyes during the silence that dragged on.

"That's very good," he congratulated letting out a dark cackle, "Now repeat after me, and do try to sound natural. Please say, 'No, Mom, stay where you are.'"

I inwardly sighed and nodded, "No, Mom, stay where you are."

"I can see this is going to be difficult," James stated in an amused, light and friendly voice.

His voice took on a darker tone, "Why don't you walk into another room now so your face doesn't ruin everything? There's no reason for your mother to suffer. As you're walking, please say, 'Mom, please listen to me.' Say it now."

"Mom, please listen to me," I pleaded. I wasn't sure if I was convincing, but I did give it my best shot. I walked very slowly to the bedroom, and as I did I felt Alice's worried stare bore into my back. I shut the door behind me, and plopped down onto my bed. If I had to run with this crazy scheme, then I wanted to be comfortable.

"There now, are you alone? Just answer yes or no," James stated firmly. Honestly, this kind of reminded me of those pervy chat rooms that I once caught Jacob on.

I pulled down my amusement and pulled on a straight face before muttering, "Yes."

James chuckled darkly, "But they can still hear you, I'm sure."

I rolled my eyes at that stupid question, "Yes."

"All right, then," he agreeably continued, "say, 'Mom, trust me.'"

I rose my brow at his strange request, but obliged anyways, "Mom, trust me,"

"Now I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to need you to get away from your friends; do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no," James patiently stated.

I remembered that we were going to the airport. Sky Harbor International Airport: crowded, confusingly laid out... I bet if I had the chance, I could do so. I wondered if it could work though.

I nodded and muttered, "Yes."

I could hear the smile that must've been on James's face, "I'm sure it won't be easy, but if I get the slightest hint that you have any company, well, that would be very bad for your mother. You must know enough about us by now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone along with you, don't you? And how little time I would need to deal with your mother if that was the case. Do you understand? Answer yes or no."

I ground my teeth, "Yes." Congratulations, you're a huge asshole. That was all unnecessary and he really didn't need to continue needlessly threatening to harm my mum when I knew that she was safe.

"Very good, Elizabeth. Now this is what you have to do. I want you to go to your mother's house. Next to the phone there will be a number. Call it, and I'll tell you where to go from there. Can you do that? Answer yes or no," he chirped.

I sighed and simply stated, "Yes."

"Before noon, please, Elizabeth. I haven't got all day. Also, it's important, now, that you don't make your friends suspicious when you go back to them. Tell them that your mother called, and that you talked her out of coming home for the time being. Now repeat after me, 'Thank you, mom.' Say it now," he said politely.

"Thank you, mom," I blandly said. I tried my best to keep the irritation from my voice, but at this rate...my temper was starting to spark. In the back of my mind I idly wondered why I hated it when someone told me what to do. Well when assholes told me what to do, I supposed.

"Now say, 'I love you, mom, I'll see you soon.' Say it now," he demanded.

"I love you, mom, and I'll see you soon," I promised. I rolled my eyes inwardly. I wondered if any of my eavesdroppers noticed that I hadn't ever said _mum_. I doubted that they knew me well enough to know that little change meant something.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth. I look forward to seeing you again," he hung up.

I dropped the phone into my lap and sighed as I tried to think of what I could possibly do. I knew that I would have to shoot James in the face, but at the same time...I knew that I would probably not be able to come out of this unscathed.

I knew that my mum had an emergency first aid kit in her house. It was hidden underneath the sink. I definitely had to stop by Mrs. Fitzgerald's house for some magical help to get everything into my tiny bag.

Slowly, I stood up and stretched my limbs. I took in a deep breath and continued to plan. I had no choices now but one: to go to the mirrored room and blast open James's skull because I wasn't going to die. Not by his hands. I refused. I knew that I had no guarantees that I would live through this, but I had to try and plan for any mishaps. I idly wondered if Alice would see my decision. I decided to keep changing my mind now and again. It wouldn't do if they decided to kidnap me again. The next time, I might not be so lucky with my loved one being safe from James's claws.

I was grateful that Jasper was gone because I doubted that I could've kept my jig up if he had felt my sudden changes in my emotions. I would've definitely have been suspicious. I gathered my things and stored them away into my backpack. I tightly wound my hair into a braid and concentrated on my escape. I had to hope that my familiarity with the airport would turn the odds in my favor. I silently thanked God for all the times I had to go through that airport to visit my dad. Somehow, I had to keep Alice away thought...that would be a bit of a pickle.

I pulled out the phone that my mum had given me and shot her a text. I was kind of worried that I would be wrong. A couple seconds later, relief washed over me when my mum replied:

"Yes, sweets?"

I smiled and rapidly texted out my message:

"Just checking that you're safe mum. The tracker managed to get some sort of vocal recording of you. Is it okay if I take your emergency first aid kit and a couple other things when I stop by your house? He wants to lure me into my old ballet studio for some reason."

Her next text was instantaneous:

"Put your head phones on."

I plugged in my headphones and popped them into my ears:

"Ten four, big boss. What's going on?"

Suddenly my phone chimed in my ears. She was calling me through Google hangouts. I chuckled to my self and rolled my eyes. I answered and found that my mum was staring at me with worried eyes. It looked like she was at my grandmother's old house. Huh. I guess that could be counted as a safe house. It was in the middle of nowhere.

"Elizabeth. I'm glad you look okay. You can take whatever you need, but please go visit Mrs. Fitzgerald on your way to this death trap. I can't say I'm not worried, and I know that you can't really talk right now. I just wanted to be able to see you and remind you that you're not allowed to die until I have great grandchildren. Is that clear?" she stated rapidly. I could see my mum's eyes water and I suddenly felt a lump in my throat.

I nodded and pulled on a watery smile. It was really nice to see her again. I mouthed out a silent 'I love you'.

She nodded and smiled, "I love you too, sweets. More than a million sparkly shoes. Phil is okay. He's really enjoying hunting deer here, so there's not complaints from him. Be safe, and make sure to buy some liquid luck from Mrs. Fitzgerald if you don't get anything else. Tell her to put it on my tab."

I raised a brow at her and tilted my head.

My mum tilted her head back and laughed at my bewildered expression, "I've bought so many things from that woman that I have a tab now. I always pay her, but it's a little hard to get magical currency through this digital age. The magical world hasn't yet caught up yet. Go now, sweetheart. May the force be with you."

I shot my mum a disgruntled look and mouthed 'really?'

Her eyes sparkled, "Star Was is better than Star Trek! Don't be mad because it's true!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled before tapping the end call button on my phone. I smiled to myself. I really needed that. My nerves felt better and I figured that I would be okay. I was really glad none of the vampires had thought to confiscate any of my things. I think I would've been a bigger mess inside, if they had.

I knew Alice was in the other room waiting for me, curious. I would have to try and bullshit my way out of this. I kept my pulse as calm as I could and walked back into the other room. I pulled on an apologetic smile, "My mom was worried, and she wanted to come home from their vacation earlier than planned. Don't worry though. I managed to convince her to stay away."

Alice shot me a relieved smile, "We'll make sure she's fine, Eliza, don't worry."

I turned away; I couldn't let her see my face. The utter disbelief that she bought that bull. I was eternally grateful that she wasn't a mind reader right now. However, I was a little disappointed to find that she couldn't see that one coming. I wondered if she had to look into the person's future to find a difference or if they just came at her like with Edward.

My eye fell on a blank page of the hotel stationery on the desk. I went to it slowly, a plan forming. There was an envelope there, too. That was good. This could work.

"Alice," I slowly asked, without turning, "If I write a letter for my mother, would you give it to her? Leave it at the house, I mean."

"Sure, Eliza," Alice carefully stated.

I went into the bedroom again, and knelt next to the little bedside table to write. I figured now would be the best time to spill the beans to Edward. Just in case all of this went badly, I did want him to know that he still had living descendants wandering around. I didn't really know how he would react to his dad cheating on his mum all those years ago. I shrugged. Eh.

"Edward," I wrote. I took in a deep breath and continued on. My hand felt funny writing all this out. I was much more used to typing, but I continued onwards.

My mum sent over a family tome of ours. A Higginbotham tome along with our family tree. It's a pretty cool family tree since it detailed out all the roots. I know you guys don't believe that I am a Higginbotham, but that's just because you can't smell the difference. My necklace, the one that I always wear, along with my bracelet, does that.

I found out a while ago why you love me in the way that you do. It's because I'm your descendant on my dad's side. I was actually given the name Elizabeth because it's been passed down in my family for so many years. You might not believe me, but if you look it up Edward Masen Sr. did have another son with my great so on grandmother on my dad's side. That son went on to have children and every daughter was called Elizabeth. I think that would sort of make me your great so on grandniece. I am so sorry you had to find out this way. Also, I think that all people who smell so appetizing to vampires, like me, might mean that they're descendants of sorts of that vampire. At least that's what I think. I don't think you should tell Emmett though. It might depress him.

James says that has my mom, and I guess that I have to try to thwart him. It seems like a deathly stupid idea, but what the hell.

Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it'll be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Even though you guys kidnapped me and kind of imprisoned me in a hotel room for a while, they were very nice.

Forgive me.

Love your awesomely cool great so on grandniece,

Elizabeth Marabelle Higginbotham Masen Kites

I folded the letter carefully, and sealed it in the envelope. I would make sure to leave it behind somewhere he would find it. I sighed and readied myself for, what would probably be, a foolhardy adventure.


	22. Chapter 22

**22\. Game on**

Jasper still hadn't come back when I returned to Alice. The minutes ticked by more slowly than usual. I was a little afraid to be in the same room with her. I was nervous that she would somehow guess my plan. I kept on thinking about different ways to do things and tried my best not to stay with one decision. It was hard though since I quite liked solid decisions and routes. That was just the kind of person that I was.

I saw Alice suddenly bend over the desk. She gripped the edge with two hands making indents in the wood. I flinched when I saw splinters break off of the desk.

I stayed where I was and hesitantly called out, "Alice?"

She didn't react when I called her name as her head slowly rocked side to side. I warily walked over and saw her face. Her eyes were blank and dazed. Her eyes had rolled over in her head to the point where all I could see was her pupils. I inwardly shuddered. Vampires had creepy eyes. Period. They could change, but it would just go up on the creepy scale, I silently decided.

"Alice!" Jasper's voice called out, and suddenly he was right behind her, his hands curling over hers, loosening them from their grip on the table. Across the room, the door swung shut with a low click. I raised my brow and released a breath I hadn't known I had been holding.

"What is it?" he demanded.

She turned her face away from me, into his chest. "Elizabeth," she whispered as she rubbed her head into his chest.

"What did you see?" Jasper quietly asked as a tranquil atmosphere settled around me. It was a nice feeling even though I knew that it was all contrived. Alice, too, recovered as she shook herself out of one of her visions.

"Nothing, really," she answered finally, "Just the same room as before."

She looked at me, and I noted that her expression was smooth and withdrawn. She tilted her head, "Did you want breakfast?"

"No, I can just eat at the airport," I muttered. I gave them both a wooden smile and went to the bathroom to shower. I got ready methodically after I finished up in the bathroom. I pulled on my t-shirt and jeans, strapped on my knife and gun, dabbed on some holy water around my neck and on my face, and tightly wound my hair into a low braid. I pulled on a hoodie, slipped my wallet and phone into my pockets, and made sure that all of my magical items were carefully tucked away into my backpack.

I was anxious to get to the airport, and make my escape. I hoped that Mrs. Fitzgerald was awake by now since it was only about seven in the morning when we left the hotel. I sat alone in the back of the dark car contemplating what I was about to do. Alice sat up in front with Jasper. She leaned against the door with her face towards Jasper but, now and again she would glance in my direction every few seconds.

"Alice?" I asked as I gazed out of the darkly tinted windows.

She tilted her head towards me and warily asked, "Yes?"

"How does it work? The things that you see?" I pulled up my backpack off of the floor and hugged it to my chest as I looked at her.

"Yes, things change..." she murmured quietly, "Some things are more certain than others... like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds - make a new decision, no matter how small - the whole future shifts." Huh. That must've been really annoying.

I nodded thoughtfully, "So you couldn't see James in Phoenix until he decided to come here?"

"Yes," she simply stated.

I idly wondered if she saw me in my old ballet studio with James. Could that have been what made her go dizzy? I didn't think something that small would make her freak out like that though. Perhaps it was something else entirely. I shrugged internally. It really wasn't something I really wanted to focus on.

When we got to the airport I noticed that Edward's plane was going to be landing in terminal four, the largest terminal, where most flights landed. It was the biggest and most confusing terminal. When I was younger, I had repeatedly gotten lost through that terminal. There was a door on level three that might be my only chance to enact my plan.

We parked on the fourth floor of the huge garage. I led the way and we took the elevator down to level three, where the passengers unloaded. Alice and Jasper spent a long time looking at the departing flights board. I heard them discussing the pros and cons of New York, Atlanta, Chicago. Places I'd never seen before. I idly put them on my places to go to some day to do list at the back of my mind. Well, not so much Atlanta...I didn't really know what people did there.

I patiently waited for my opportunity, as we sat in the long rows of chairs by the metal detectors. Jasper and Alice constantly kept an eye on me while we sat there. Every inch I shifted in my seat was followed by a quick glance out of the corner of their eyes. I inwardly rolled my eyes. I wasn't stupid enough to try when they were sitting right by me. Who in their right mind would do that? I sighed and pulled the unmarked envelope out of my pocket. I set it on top of Alice's black leather bag.

She looked at me and quirked her brow.

"My letter," I simply stated. She nodded, tucking it under the top flap. He would find it soon enough.

The minutes passed on by and Edward's arrival time grew closer. Several times Alice offered to go get breakfast with me, but every time she I asked I always said 'Later, not yet'.

I stared at the arrival board, and watched as flight after flight arrived exactly on time. It was pretty neat seeing none of the flights get delayed for once. I mean, it didn't bode well for me, but it was still pretty cool. The flight from Seattle crept closer to the top of the board. I had to time my escape, just right. I had to have enough time to get away, but have it so that if I didn't show up right away they would be too busy also looking for their other cohorts.

And then, when I had only thirty minutes to make my escape, the numbers changed. His plane was ten minutes early. It was time to make my move.

"I think I'll eat now," I quickly said, pulling my backpack back onto my shoulders as I stood up.

Alice stood along with me and offered, "I'll come with you."

"Do you mind if Jasper comes instead?" I asked, "I'm feeling a little..." I forced myself to look as green as I humanly could.

Jasper stood up, but Alice's eyes were confused. Much to my relief, I couldn't find any suspicion in her eyes. I felt a little bad for messing with them, but could anyone really blame me? I didn't really want to be their captive for the rest of my life running for a psycho. I honestly thought this was the best choice, even it was stupid. I wondered if she attributed the change in her vision to some maneuver of the tracker's rather than a betrayal by me. I figured that if I live through this, I would eventually figure out how to pay her back for her kindness. Or at least figure out how to apologize to both of them.

Jasper walked silently beside me, his hand on the small of my back, as if he were guiding me. I felt distinctly uncomfortable, which only made him pump out a calming feeling. I inwardly recoiled and pretended to have no interest in the first few airport cafes as I scanned for what I really wanted. And there it was, right around the corner out of Alice's sharp sight, the level-three ladies' room.

"Do you mind?" I asked Jasper as we passed. I shot him a sheepish look, "I'll just be a moment."

"I'll be right here," he said stoically pointing at the corner near the ladies room.

I nodded and shot him a grateful smile. As soon as the door shut behind me, I was running. I remembered the time I had gotten lost because of this bathroom's two exits.

Outside the far door it was only a short sprint to the elevators, and I didn't look behind me as I ran. I silently prayed that neither of them would notice my disappearance as I sprinted past people. I did my best not to bump into anyone and managed to get to the elevator doors before they closed. I squeezed in beside a couple irritated passengers, and checked to make sure that the button for level one had been pushed. It was already lit, and the doors closed. I let out a brief breath of relief and shot the guy squished up next to me an apologetic smile. He smiled back slightly and shrugged as if to say, what can you do?

As soon as the door opened I hurried out of there, apologizing slightly as I went. I slowed down when I passed the security guards by the luggage carousels, only to break into a run again as the exit doors came into view. I jumped out the automatic doors, nearly smacking into the glass when they opened too slowly. During my whole escape, I made sure that my backpack was securely strapped onto my back. I would certainly need it later on.

Along the crowded curb there wasn't a cab in sight. I inwardly cursed. I looked around and figured that if they were tracking me, I wouldn't have any time. I spotted a nearby shuttle to Hyatt and ran for it.

"Wait!" I called out as I sprinted forwards while I rapidly waved at the driver.

"This is the shuttle to the Hyatt," the driver stated simply as he stopped and opened the doors.

"Yes," I huffed and nodded, "that's where I'm going." I hurried up the steps and briefly muttered, "Thank you."

He gave me a slight smile before he closed the doors and started up the shuttle, "You're very welcome."

Most of the seats were empty, but I still sat as far from the other travelers as possible. I didn't want to drag them into this by accidentally rubbing my scent on them. I watched out the window as first the sidewalk, and then the airport, drifted away.

My luck held. During one stop of the shuttle, an elderly couple was getting their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. I happily hurried out of the shuttle shouting thank you over my shoulder as I sprinted towards the cab.

I huffed a little and beamed at the elderly couple, "May I have this cab?"

The elderly lady, that reminded me of Ellie from the Pixar movie UP, softly smiled, "You go right on ahead, sweetheart." The elderly man tipped his hat to me as they rolled their luggage away towards the shuttle that I had gotten off of.

I happily slid into the seat behind the driver and told the drive my mom's address, "Sir, I need to get there as soon as possible."

"That's in Scottsdale," he murmured frowning slightly.

I nodded, "I can pay extra. How much do I need to pay?"

He looked at me from his rear view window and hummed, "Fifty bucks."

I nodded and pulled out my debit card, "Do you take debit?"

He let out a rasping laugh, "What taxi company doesn't these days. You can pay after I get you there, okay kid?"

I smiled and nodded, "Thanks."

He nodded as he started up the cab, "No worries, kid."

I sat back against the seat, pulling my backpack onto lap. The familiar city rushed around me, and I nervously tapped my foot. I bit my lip and couldn't help feel the anxiety that was racing through me. I was beyond worried and scared, but I knew that I couldn't' back out now. There wasn't any way to do so.

So, instead of panicking, I closed my eyes and spent the twenty minute drive to my mom's house breathing deeply. I concentrated on the happy flashes of memories inside of my head. Fishing with my dad, my godbrother, and my godfather. How much of a mess when my mom and I would make cake balls out of days old cake. Learning how to play baseball with Phil, and utterly failing. Quil giving me my first kiss under the rain when we were ten. Plowing through a seven eleven when I was learning how to drive. My dad letting me put on the sirens of his cop car for fun when I was little.

I wondered if I could have more happy memories or if I would die during this new adventure. I hummed and opened my eyes. I squinted against the sunlight and sighed. The urge to call my mom and have her reassure me was great, but I didn't want to risk her possible safety. For all I knew, any walls had ears for the moment.

We rolled on into my childhood neighborhood as I closed my eyes against the warm sunlight. I let out a deep sigh.

The taxi cab pulled over and he called out, "Hey, what was that number again?"

I opened my eyes and glanced at him, "Fifty-eight twenty-one."

The driver looked at me, and smiled while he handed me the debit machine, "We're here then."

I nodded and took out my debit card tapping it on the debit machine. It printed out my receipt and when I ripped it out, the driver took his machine back. He placed it back into it's little cubby as I got out of the car with my bag strapped onto my back.

"Thank you," I smiled at him as I exited the vehicle.

He cheerfully waved and drove off. I stood there and stared at my childhood home for a moment and took a deep breath. I looked over to Mrs. Fitzgerald's house and noted that her garden looked as wild and magical as I had last seen it. Since it was closer to nine-forty-five am now, I knew she would be home and awake. She wasn't the type to really sleep in, the last time I had checked. I would have to remember to go and see her after getting what I needed from my mom's place.

I jogged towards my front door, and deftly unlocked it. It was dark inside, and nothing really seemed out of place. I took in the honey pine scent mixed with a wet dog smell and laughed. My mom certainly knew how to drive certain creatures, and people away when she wanted to. I grabbed my mom's emergency first aid kit and quickly went through the living room's patio door into the garden.

I happily basked in the sunlight while I hurried over to Mrs. Fitzgerald's garden gate in our fence. I creaked it open and called out, "Mrs. Fitz? My mom told me to ask you for a little bit of help."

Mrs. Fitzgerald's crazy blue hair popped out from behind her azalea bush. She beamed at me and pulled me into a bone crushing hug, "Lizzy! My dear, little Lizzy. What kind of help do you need?"

I chuckled and grinned, "My mom said that I needed some liquid luck. She said to put it on her tab. I was also wondering if you could enchant my bag for me. I wanted it to be weightless and kind of act like that bag Hermione had from Harry Potter."

She pulled away and shot me a bewildered look before merrily cackling, "So Nene finally told you about magic. Well, at least she told you sooner rather than later. I don't know why she's so cautious about it all. It's not like you're being hunted." She rolled her eyes and pulled me along further into her garden.

I nervously laughed while I stumbled behind her. Sure, sure. Let's just go with that.

Near her house was a tiny looking shed, but when we entered it was far bigger on the inside. I squealed internally and wondered if magic could make me a Tardis one day. I doubted that it would ever really work as one, but having a big blue box that was bigger on the inside seemed just as good. Well...almost anyways.

Mrs. Fitzgerald rose her brow at my excitement and laughed, "Oh! Yes, it's bigger on the inside just like one of your favorite shows. Now come take a seat while I get everything ready. Make sure you empty out your bag before I cast the charms on them, okay?"

I nodded politely as I took a seat at her bistro table, "Thanks, Mrs. Fitz."

She happily wobbled her head as she gathered everything she was looking for, "You're very much welcome, dear."

I carefully pulled out the stuff that my mom had sent me, along with my extra set of clothes, the first aid kit I had nabbed from my mom, and all the other extra things I had packed away.

She flicked her wand in curious patterns while she muttered spells under her breath. My simple backpack glowed a bright light blue before a swirling stream of bright yellow light engulfed it. Mrs. Fitzgerald happily sat down beside me and demonstrated the completion of her spell. Everything went in it and when I lifted it up, it felt weightless.

I pulled her into a tight side hug, "Thank you!"

She laughed, "I'm not done yet, dearie." I pulled back into my own seat when I let go of her, and shot her a curious look.

She pulled out a clear vile holding shimmering golden liquid, along with several potion bottles in all different shapes, sizes and colors. She carefully deposited all of it into my bag and smiled genially at me, "Those are just in case your journey leads you into any danger. No one asks for liquid luck unless they need it. When you need a specific potion just call out into your bag and it'll come to your hand. It's one of my neater compartment spells."

I let out a breathless thank you when I took back my bag. She took my hand and tucked the glass vile that contained the liquid luck gently into my palm, "Be careful, and promise me you'll visit again. I miss the days when we would have afternoon snacks."

I nodded and engulfed her into a tight hug. I'd have to make sure to do that when I came back here for the summer. If I lived through this.

I hurried back into the living room and looked by the phone. There, on yellow sticky note, was a ten-digit number written in a small, neat hand. I frowned and tapped in the numbers into my cell phone and patiently waited for the dial tone. It only had to ring once.

"Hello, Elizabeth," James answered in an easy voice, "That was very quick. I'm impressed."

I rolled my eyes and fingered the glass vile containing the liquid luck in my hand. I wondered how long this much would last. I forgot to ask Mrs. Fitzgerald while I was in her shed. I tilted my head and frowned, "What's next?"

"Wow. Straight to the point with you. I like it," he said lightly laughing. James hummed for a moment before continuing, "Are you alone?"

"I'm alone," I stated firmly. I had gone through a circus to make it so that I would be doing this dangerous stunt solo. I really hoped that they would find me if shit went out of control, though.

James continued on, "Very good. Now, do you know the ballet studio just around the corner from your home?"

I bit my lower lip and felt my gun. Could I really get in a shot? I wasn't that great, but maybe...maybe what Mrs. Fitzgerald would help. I nodded, "Yes. I know how to get there."

He let out a sinister chuckle, "Well, then, I'll see you very soon."

I hung up abruptly and glared at my phone before I stowed it safely away in my backpack. If I got thrown around, I didn't really want my only means of communication to be crushed by my falling body.

I locked all the doors and made sure that everything was alright before I hurried out of the house. The sun glared down on me and I felt a light sheen of sweat on my forehead. I sighed and wondered why James wasn't sizzling to death. From what I recalled, that ballet studio had a lot of windows.

As I speed walked away from my childhood home from the corner of my eye, I could almost see my mother standing in the shade of the big eucalyptus tree where I'd played as a child. Or kneeling by the little plot of dirt around the mailbox, amongst where the tulips would usually grow in the spring time. I shook away those memories and got back to the problem at hand. I could reminisce later when I wasn't in danger. I gulped down the liquid luck and wiped my mouth. It tasted like sweet melted toffee. I frowned and shrugged. I was expecting something else, but eh. What can you do?

I hurried along under the hot sun down the street and around the corner onto Cactus. I could see the dance studio. It looked just as I remembered it. The parking lot in front was empty, the vertical blinds on all the windows were drawn and it seemed impossibly dark inside.

As I got closer to the building, I saw the sign inside the door. It was handwritten on bright yellow paper. The dance studio was apparently closed for a while since the owners were on vacation. I touched the handle, and turned it slowly. The door clicked open. I couldn't help, but feel a tendril of fear rise up in me. I took in a deep breath, and opened the door.

The lobby was pitch black and empty. The air conditioner thrummed on in the background, it circulated cool air throughout the room and made me shiver. The plastic molded chairs were stacked along the walls, and the carpet smelled like shampoo. The west dance floor was dark. The east dance floor, the bigger room, was dimly lit with what looked to be a single camping lamp. However, the blinds were closed on all the windows. Blackout curtains seemed to be covering any cracks that could've let any light in. I inwardly went ahhh. It made more sense with the black out curtains in place.

I pulled my gun out and placed it under my jeans at the small of my back under my hoodie. When I entered into the entrance of the east dance floor I made sure to put my backpack down on the ground by the doorway.

And then I heard my mom's voice call out. Terror gripped me for a moment before I ventured further onto the east dance floor.

"Eliza? Eliza?" she called out as I walked further into the dimly lit room. My heart thudded in my chest. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Elizabeth, you scared me! You silly girl! Don't you ever do that to me again!" her voice echoed out in against the high ceilings.

I glanced around me and spotted an old school looking TV when I heard her laugh. There she was, on the TV screen, hugging me to death. It was one of my last dance recitals, and I was ten. I had gotten so nervous that I had ran away to the bathrooms. When she couldn't find me right away she had started calling out to me in fear. And then the TV screen was blue.

I turned slowly. He stood as still as a statue by the back exit, hidden in the darkness, but his too white wendigo teeth stood out against the inky black. When he walked to the TV I found that he had a remote control. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then he smiled toothily.

"Sorry about that, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" his voice was courteous and kind. His entirely black eyes were anything but, though.

"Yes," I muttered quietly feeling my gun still safely tucked against my lower back.

His achromatic eyes assessed me with interest, "When Victoria couldn't get to your father, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to come to Phoenix to pay your mother a visit. I'd heard you say you were going home. At first, I never dreamed you meant it. Then I wondered. Humans can be very predictable; they like to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. And wouldn't it be the perfect ploy, to go to the last place you should be when you're hiding - the place that you said you'd be?

Of course I wasn't sure, it was just a hunch. I usually get a feeling about the prey that I'm hunting, a sixth sense, if you will."

I silently nodded. I steadily kept my eyes on him, unblinking while I figured out what I should probably do right now.

He took a step back and touched a palm-sized digital video camera balanced carefully on top of the stereo. A small red light indicated that it was already running. He adjusted it a few times and widened the frame. I deeply frowned at him. The hell?

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think they'll be able to resist hunting me after they watch this. I wouldn't want them to miss anything. The downfall of the last _Higginbotham_. It'll be a lovely surprise. I'm sure."

James stepped towards me from the middle of the room smiling with his fucked up wendigo teeth, "Before we begin my dear _Higginbotham_..."

I felt a curl of nausea in the pit of my stomach as he spoke. My necklace and bracelet burned against my skin, even more than usual. I internally sighed. I already knew I was in danger, thanks though. I stood still as I kept my hand near my back.

He took a couple steps towards me, staring at me with his entirely black eyes. He smirked, "I would just like to rub in your defeat, just a little bit. Give you a good villainous rant. I've never gotten to do that, and I feel that I should. Almost no one has ever escaped me. Your grandparents didn't escape me or Victoria. I see you got our little gift. It was your grandmother's you know. She was one tasty Higginbotham."

I rapidly paled and I felt my breath hitch. This reaction seemed to tickle him pink. James let out a sinister laugh, "You know. Only one being has ever escaped Victoria and me. It happened once, oh, ages ago. You see, a vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made a choice. A life changing choice. When he found out we were after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked - I never will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans - and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the nineteen-twenties it was the asylum and the shock treatments. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for us to kill her then."

He sighed, "I destroyed the old one in vengeance." James stalked me in a circle and I silently prayed that he wouldn't see that I had a gun under my hoodie. I really hoped that the liquid luck actually worked.

"Alice," I breathed out, astonished. At least that's where I hoped this was going because otherwise I was both deeply confused and disturbed.

James smirked, "Yes, your _little_ friend. I was surprised to see her in the clearing. I guess her coven ought to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get to kill you instead, but they get her. The one victim who escaped the _hunt_ , quite an honor, actually.

I took a slow step back as James stepped ever closer to me. I inwardly cringed as a his toothy wendigo teeth morphed into a smile that as far too wide for his face, "And she _did_ smell so delicious. She was like a little flower. Something I wanted to badly crush. Victoria had wanted to feast on her so badly. You can thank your little friends for my dear one being absent for this part of our game..."

He took another step toward me, till he was just inches away. He lifted a lock of my hair and sniffed at it delicately, "You'd think a Higginbotham would hide better than you. I honestly thought Victoria and I had wiped out the last of you traitors. Vampires cursed to be humans turning hunters into weak prey. Disgusting."

He gently patted the strand back into place, and I felt his cool clawed fingertips trace my throat. He reached up to stroke my cheek once quickly with his thumb, his face curious as electricity ran along his fingers. He flinched slightly and frowned down at my neck, "Enchanted necklace? How _typical_ of scum like you."

He took a step back and grabbed my arm wrenching off my bracelet. It left scratch marks on my wrist and I wanted so badly to run, but I was frozen. I couldn't even flinch away. I inwardly gulped.

"There it is," he murmured to himself as he dropped his hand, "I would recognize that scent anywhere."

He sighed and threw my bracelet against the glass mirror nearby, shattering it, "Well, I suppose we should get on with it. Then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message."

I was definitely sick now. This guy was some sick fuck. I strengthened my legs and kept my hand near my gun. My mind ran through possible plans because at this point, I was too scared to run still.

He stepped back a meter or so, and began to circle me again. Then he slumped forward into a crouch and let out a snarl. I felt my heart thump loudly in my chest as I took a step back. His multiple rows of sharp stark white teeth made me dizzy. I slowly took out my water bottle and he shot me an befuddled look. He stopped his circling and raised his brow.

I couldn't help myself – I unscrewed the bottle and threw as much holy water as I could into his face. He let out a feral scream as he grabbed at his sizzling face with his clawed hands. I then proceeded to try and shoot him. I got in one shot that went through his neck. Even with liquid luck I was a lousy shot.

He was in front of me in a flash, snarling and snapping his teeth he spat, "You _**bitch**_." His skin had blistered and peeled because of the holy water.

I didn't see if he used his hand or his foot, it was all too fast. A crushing blow struck my chest and I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I felt myself fly backward, and then heard the crunch as my back bashed into the mirrors. The glass buckled, some of the pieces shattering and splintering on the floor beside me.

I felt around my body and found that I only had moderate wounds, but my leg hurt like a mother fucker. I didn't feel too much blood, but at the same time I knew that I probably had a concussion too. I looked down and tried not to scream. My leg was totally broken again. I glared hatefully at James. I had just healed that! What kind of stupid liquid luck is this?

He walked toward me slowly, an utterly satisfied look on his face. I glanced at where I had stood before and noted that my gun was a few feet away from me.

"That's a very nice effect," he stated, examining the mess of glass, his voice friendly again even as some of skin slowly peeled off of his face. He shot me a dark toothy smile, "I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?"

I ignored him as I dragged myself towards my gun with my scratched up forearms. He paused and sighed before walking over me. I whipped out my dagger and stabbed his leg. James let out a startled scream and kicked me hard enough to fling towards my bag. I felt the wind get knocked out of me again, but I didn't feel as much pain as I thought I would. My leg felt agonizing, but I supposed it really could've been worse. I felt tired, dizzy, and defeated. My gun was too far away from me, my leg was broken again, I was out of holy water, and I didn't have my dagger anymore.

He limped over to me and growled, "Feisty bitch. I don't know how you got your hands on these blessed weapons, but they're no help to you..."

James wrenched my dagger out of his leg and threw it where my gun lay on the ground. He picked me by my hoodie and snarled into my face, "The best death for Higginbotham scum like you is with _teeth_."

"No!" I squirmed and tried to block him with my arms. I knew it wouldn't do much, but it was better than just giving up. He cackled and threw me into a unbroken part of the mirrors. I felt like a rag doll in one of my favorite video games as I felt the glass fall around me.

My head felt dizzy and I swear I was seeing double at this point. James stalked over and tried to put his hands over my neck, but little electric shocks pushed him back. I smiled tiredly which only infuriated him.

He yanked my exposed arm and hissed, " _ **Fine**_. You'll just have to die via venom then since I know _scum like you_ **can't** turn."

I tried to pull my arm back but it was useless, he bit down and I flinched. I felt my eyes close and the venom burn into my arm. I really hoped I would live through this because this would be one fucked up way to die.


	23. Chapter 23

The original story and original world belongs to Stephanie Meyer

Any quotes from the original Twilight belong to the aforementioned author.

Any mentions of shows, movies, or books were not meant as copy right infringement or as an intended crossover that'll be an integral part of the story.

No copy write infringement was intended.

 **23\. Death's Door**

I drifted along the burning undulating waves of pain in my veins. I suddenly heard another snarl; a deeper, wilder roar, that rang with fury. Then suddenly the teeth that I felt gnashing at my arm disappeared. It was only a slight bit of relief against the crashing hot fire that seared through my arm.

Through the thick heavy fog swirling in my mind, I heard the sound of Edward and his coven calling out my name. It was mixed in with snarling and ripping flesh. I inwardly sighed and pulled my lips into an exhausted smile.

Alice's voice tinkled out in horror, "Oh no, Elizabeth, no! No!"

A high keening rang out before suddenly breaking off...I hoped they had killed James. I lolled my head to the side and blearily looked at their fuzzy figures.

Edward gently gathered me in his arms and called out in a broken voice, "Elizabeth! Please, please, listen to me! Don't go to sleep! Fuck. I can't believe _this_ is happening."

Yes, well at least you guys showed up to save my ass, I wanted to say. I couldn't find the strength to form my words though. When I tried to say anything only a rasp managed to escape my throat. I groaned and sighed.

"Carlisle!" Edward called out, panic clearly present in his voice, "Elizabeth needs you!"

I saw Dr. Carlisle's blur to us and I felt his lukewarm hands examine my tired body. I cried out, gasping, when he gently touched my leg.

"Shhh...shh...it's okay, Eliza," Edward murmured sadly.

"She's lost some blood, it looks like she has a concussion, her leg is broken along with a couple of her ribs, and there's her arm...," Dr. Carlisle methodically stated.

The burning continued and I tried to squirm. I managed to rasp out, "It burns."

They stilled and I could feel something change in the air. Dr. Carlisle gently took my burning arm and quietly cursed.

"He bit her," Dr. Carlisle's spat as he gently flipped my arm to check the other side.

I heard Edward catch his breath in horror. Edward pulled me closer to him and shook slightly, "Elizabeth, you're going to be _fine_. Can you hear me? I love you."

I weakly rolled my eyes at him, "Edward?" The potions Mrs. Fitzgerald had given me sounded like they would come in handy right now.

His voice sounded farther away, "Yes, I'm here."

"My bag. Potions," I desperately whispered.

"Oh...okay. Alice, could you get her bag please? She says she has potions. Yes. Potions," - and then, away from me, anguished - "can't you do anything?"

"Alice?" I groaned out. If I survived this, I definitely needed to tell her some stuff.

"She's here, she knew where to find you," Edward quietly murmured.

"Edward, you have to do it," Alice's firmly stated, close by my head. Lukewarm fingers brushed away the wetness that had apparently filled my eyes.

"What?" Edward asked, bewildered.

"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is _fairly_ clean," Dr. Carlisle spoke as he gently dabbed something cold on my arm. The burning continued and I felt my chest ache. It felt like my limbs were melting.

"Will that work?" Alice's voice was strained. I heard clinking glass near my head. Was she taking out _all_ of my potions?

"I don't know, but we have to hurry," Dr. Carlisle worriedly said. I felt him do something to my leg and I winced. I felt him wrap something on my leg and groaned. Lukewarm fingertips ghosted across my face and I felt someone tilt a glass bottle to my lips. I obligingly drank whatever was placed near my mouth and I felt the pain dull somewhat. Whatever that was, was pretty good...

"Carlisle, I..." Edward hesitated, "I don't know if I can do that."

Dr. Carlisle kept doing something to my leg while he murmured, "It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to stop this bleeding right now, especially if you're going to be taking blood from her hand. You have to choose _now_."

I felt my breath rattle in my chest and I squirmed whimpering out, "Hurts..."

Edward's face was drawn. I watched his dark red eyes suddenly focus in on my arm. His jaw tightened. I felt his cool, strong fingers on my burning arm, locking it in place. Then his head bent over it, and his cool lips pressed against my skin.

At first the pain was worse. I screamed and thrashed against the hands that held me down. I heard Alice's voice, murmuring things. I felt liquid being forced into my mouth. I choked a little and continued to flail against the renewed pain. Something heavy held my leg to the floor, and I felt someone lock my head in place.

Then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my arm grew more and more numb. The fire had started to dwindle. After a few more moments the burning had turned into a dull pulse that had grown ever weaker. I felt my consciousness slipping as the pain subsided. Everything grew fuzzy and I swear I heard someone scream.

The person holding my head brought me into a slumped sitting position. I felt slim cool arms pull me away from Edwards thrashing form on the ground nearby.

"Edward?" I tried to say, but I couldn't quite hear my voice. Could they still could hear me? The dull pulsing turned into an irritating vibration as my eyes turned fuzzy.

Alice pulled me away from this new scene, "He's right there, Eliza. I'm going to take you to the car..."

I sighed contentedly. The fire was gone, and the other pains were dulled by chemicals seeping through my body. Probably all the potions that I had packed away.

"Edward! Edward!" Dr. Carlisle called out from somewhere far away.

"What's going on?" Jasper's voice carried over as we passed by their blurs.

"I think...I think his heart is beating again..." Dr. Carlisle murmured.

"Elizabeth?" the good doctor called out to me.

I tried to answer, "Mmmmm?" My limbs and eyelids felt heavy and I felt so foggy.

His voice sounded so far away, "Is the fire gone?"

"Yes," I mumbled, "Thank you. Is Edward okay?" The skin underneath me felt lukewarm and not as cool as I thought.

I heard high kneeing and moaning in the background. Someone was still thrashing on the ground and I swear I heard Jasper grunt. Silent moments passed by and I wondered why we were still here. A heavy feeling pressed down on my mind, but I was strangely okay with that. Dr. Carlisle sounded closer the next time he spoke, "You're a _Higginbotham._ " He sounded breathless.

"I know," I breathed out. I was so tired from all of this, and I was slightly irritated that it really took this long to prove to them that I was what I was.

Suddenly the thrashing stopped and Edward's weak laugh rang out. Jasper let out a gasp and I felt someone rock me. I heard a soft humming and I couldn't help, but smile inwardly.

"Elizabeth?" Dr. Carlisle asked again. His voice sounded far away again.

I frowned deeply; I lolled my head towards his voice and refused to open my eyes. I weakly muttered, "What?"

I heard footsteps click clack against the wooden floor and Dr. Carlisle's softly murmured, "We have a lot to talk about once you're well..."

I sighed and nodded as best as I could. I felt Alice pull me closer to her chest as we started moving, "Where _is_ your mother?"

"In a safe house," I softly murmured, "He tried to trick me with one of Mrs. Fitzgerald's tapes..."

Alice hummed quietly, "Ahhh. I see." I felt her dip down and the crinkle of fabric before we started to move again.

"Alice," I tried to open my eyes. I shifted in her slim arms, "Alice, he knew you. Knew where you came from..."

I squirmed slightly and muttered, "I smell gasoline." Why was there gasoline here? What the fuck happened?

"It's time to move them," Dr. Carlisle said near my head. He called out, "Please get her weapons and the tape, Jasper."

I heard someone groan nearby me and I pouted, "Can I sleep?"

Alice's tinkling laugh rang out, "You can rest your eyes, sweetheart, but don't sleep."

As we moved I sighed and felt my mind wander. I wondered when I would see my parents next were the last thoughts that I had till the darkness took me.


	24. Chapter 24

**24\. The Waking World**

When I pried open my heavy eyes I was greeted by bright white light and beeping. I was in an unfamiliar white room. The wall beside me was covered in long vertical blinds that seemed to block out any natural light. Over my head I had glaring lights that blinded me. I was propped up on a hard uneven bed with rails. The pillows were flat and lumpy and the annoying beeping sound was somewhere close by. I hoped that meant I was still alive.

My hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something was taped across my face, under my nose. I lifted myself up and winced while I tried to get out of bed. My limbs felt heavy and I didn't feel so good. Then again, I'm pretty sure I was almost dying the last time I checked.

"Oh no, you don't," cool fingers caught my arm.

"Alice?" I turned my head slightly, and found her pixie face close to my pillow. I worriedly looked at her. Wasn't it dangerous for her to be out and about with all this sun?

I frowned at her and instead just pulled myself up into a sitting position, "I'm sorry for running. Thank for coming to my rescue though..." She gently let go of my arm and sat back up. I noticed how she wore a turtleneck and gloves. It was an odd combo, but with the little light I could see from the outside, I supposed that it was warranted.

She smiled and waved away my apology, "Shhhh. Everything's all right now. Just like I said." Her smile seemed oddly forced to me. I wondered what she was really thinking about.

"What happened?" I couldn't remember everything very clearly, and my mind rebelled against me as I tried to recall _all_ of it. I looked near my bed and found that I had a morphine drip. That would probably do that. It probably explained why I felt so groggy too.

"We were almost too late. We came just in time when it looked like James was going to start ripping into you," she whispered, her voice tormented.

She shook her head and sighed, "In any case. We came just in time. Jasper and Emmett tore James away from you, and then tore _him_ apart. We ended up burning up all pieces. That dance studio is probably burnt to the ground, but Carlisle made sure to buy up the property from the owners before we completely torched it."

I frowned and picked at my tubes, "Was that really necessary?"

She gently swatted my fingers away and nodded, "Yup. There was far too much evidence of a struggle. On a different note, Edward's human again. He read your letter and we ended up reading it too while you were both out."

I inwardly sighed. I really liked that dance studio, but I guess what they did was necessary. I don't know what repercussions it would have in the neighborhood though. I hoped that it didn't strike fear into everyone.

"Huh," I blinked rapidly and tilted my head, "So?"

"Well. This explains a lot about so many things..." she looked into space and a wry smile tugged at her lips, "I also watched the video...Carlisle wanted to talk to you about the possibility of having some of your blood. Some of my family...most of my family want the chance to become human again."

I tilted my head and caught sight of Edward's unconscious form on the bed near mine. I glanced back at Alice, "I guess. I don't know how well that would go because I _really_ **hate** needles. Besides, which of you really wants to be human again?" I knew that you didn't choose whether or not you became a vampire, but it seemed as though they were doing well as the creatures that they were.

A bitter laugh escaped her mouth, "All of them actually...I don't know if I want to. All I can remember is _this_ life, but choosing otherwise would mean that I loose my family. Knowing that there are dangers like us and magic in the world, why would I want to be left defenseless?"

She had a good point. In a world where these dangers and these fantastical things were real...I doubted anyone wanted to be truly helpless. However, on the other hand...being human meant that you could grow. I would assume you would be able to live life more vividly when you were alive rather than dead. I didn't really want to tear a family apart though, even if it meant that they would be able to live and grow. Did that make me a bad person? I didn't know if I would stick with that belief though...this was a real messed up pickle.

I patted her hand gently, "I don't know what to say."

"You don't really need to say much. Just that you'll think about it. I know that Rosalie and Emmett would love to be humans again. They've been wanting kids, actual kids of their own, for a long, long, loonng time now. Esme and Carlisle are in the same boat..." she murmured quietly as she looked at Edward's still form.

Man. That just made my decision all the more hard. I mean...I've always wanted kids. I've always wanted a life where I could grow and see others grow with me. If someone took that away and gave me something that would give that back... I would want it so badly.

"I need to call mom and dad," I slowly said. I didn't know what to do or say now. Alice seemed morose about everything, and I could see why. However, I didn't want to be the factor that would change their lives forever. At the same time, I could recall how broken Edward was when he said he didn't want to be a monster. Oh dear.

"I already called your mom over. I used your other cellphone when the other one didn't have the right number. She's here - well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now," she straightened her back and I saw through the bright hospital lights that she was wearing brown contacts.

"She's here?" I tried to look around, but my head started to feel like it would spin right off. She gently pushed me back against my headboard.

"She'll be back soon," she promised quietly. She wagged her forefinger at me and winked, "You need to stay still."

I rose my brow and slowly nodded, "Sure, but what did you guys end up telling her?"

Alice leaned back in her chair and shot me a wry look, "Surprisingly she didn't need an explanation. When we saw her come through the hospital she asked if we knew what a Higginbotham was. Carlisle talked to her while I watched over you and Edward. I don't know much else from that."

I sighed and noticed that there wasn't any pain in my chest. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Nothing. I stared down at my body under the sheet and found that I only had a slight cast on my leg.

"Why aren't I as bad as I thought I would be?" I asked while I peered down at my moderately damaged body.

Alice bit her lower lip, "I think you were just stupidly lucky for the most part. The potions you had in your bag really helped though. I ended up using all of your blood replenishing potions, a pain potion, and mild healing potion that you had stowed away in your back pack. Right now you just have a broken leg, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood even with the blood replenishing potions. They gave you a few transfusions while you were out. They also gave Edward a few blood transfusions too."

Huh. I guess that liquid luck sort of did work. I wished that it had worked better though. I glanced over at Edward again. He looked pretty banged up, "So what _really_ happened to him?"

Alice placed her head in her hand and hummed, "When we asked your mom what happened. She said that the vampire virus that turns us this way, was eaten by your phagocytes. 'Just straight up eaten', your mother's words, not mine. Now he's just as human as you. Any venom _now,_ will just kill him and not turn him again."

" _Okay_ , but _why_ is he strung up with all those tubes and wires like me. Why did he _need_ a blood transfusion for that matter?" I asked quietly. There was more to this I'm sure. I looked around the room with my eyes and spotted my backpack and a colorful gift bag on a nearby chair. I also noticed a bunch of flowers and little gifts at the end of my bed. Were those things always there?

"When his heart started beating again, Carlisle found that he was exhibiting the same symptoms he had when was first dying before he was turned. We used one of your potions on him and he was okay again. Well...for the most part any way. It was the potion that was labeled 'for emergencies only'. When we got to the hospital they looked him over too. He apparently needed a blood transfusion since he didn't have enough in his body," she looked away from my wondering eyes.

She glanced over to where Edward was, "It made sense that he didn't have enough blood in him. We don't have blood coursing through our body, so...yeah..."

I waited patiently for the rest.

She sighed without returning my gaze when I didn't say anything, "That's it. That's all I know. My whole world has changed, probably just as much as yours, eh?" I inwardly snorted at that. My world had changed far sooner than this incident. Thank you. I think I can honestly blame this all on the stupid kids that tried to kill me. In my mind, this was entirely all their fault.

She looked up finally, with half a smile, "Maybe it was fate that we met you because I never saw you in any of my visions before." I found it odd that she didn't, but her powers weren't all mighty and faultless. I wondered if she knew that.

"I'm a pretty cool friend though, aren't' I?" I smiled in response. My smile was so wide that it hurt my face.

"Even better than I'd imagined I could have," she chuckled and patted my head. She tilted her head and got up slowly, "If you want to make it up to me for running off while I was watching you..."

I followed her with my eyes, "Yeah?" I hoped that she wouldn't make do something gross or unpleasant.

Her eyes closed while a wide smile tugged on her lips, "Let me dress you up and take you shopping, kay?"

I choked out a laugh, "Sure." Well...that went better than I thought it would. Then again, I wasn't so sure what shopping with her would be like.

She nodded and walked to my hospital room door, "Oh. I think I can hear your mom coming back. I'll see you later." Alice wiggled her fingers and exited out of my room. I watched her retreating figure as the door closed behind her. I think that was the longest conversation that I had with Alice. It was weird, but nice...I guess.

I could hear my mom through the door now. I couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like she was talking to someone. Maybe a nurse or a doctor? I wondered if she was mad that I was a poor shot. I couldn't kill him myself, and I had to be saved. As much as I appreciated being able to live another day, I was a little sad that I couldn't protect myself...even if I was up against a _monster._ The door soon opened a crack, and she peeked through after the murmurs had stopped.

"mom!" I breathed out, tears blurred my vision as I reached out to her. I didn't know how much I had missed her until I saw her head poke out the door. She strode quickly to my bed, apparently dropping something onto the nearby chair before engulfing me in a gentle hug.

I felt her breath into my hair, "I'm glad you didn't end up as vampire food." She leaned back and wiped away my tears.

I clung to her and shook my head, "No. I don't wanna let go." She smelled like pomegranates, grass, paper, and sunshine.

She let out a watery laugh, "I'm not going anywhere, sweets." She patted my head and appeared to glance at my roommate.

"He sleeps like the dead, that one," she mombled to herself. I wondered what she thought about him.

I let out a slight snort, "I think he's enjoying the ability to sleep after not being able to so long..."

I hummed happily in her arms, "mom, I'm so glad you're here. I was so scared and freaked out I wouldn't ever be able to see you or dad again..."

She bent down and sat down at the edge of my bed and gave me another gentle hug, "I knew you'd be okay. More or less. I'm just so glad that you're finally awake. You know you were asleep for three days, lazy bones. You father doesn't know a thing and just thinks you're having fun over here. I can cover for you in that regard. A friend of mine can change your records when they release you."

I raised my brow, "Really?"

She smoothed my hair and hummed a familiar tune under her breath, "It's better this way. When they discharge you. We'll need to take a little trip to Mrs. Fitzgerald so you can be as good as new when you go back to Forks."

I recoiled back a little, "Back to _Forks_? Is it safe?" As much as I loved living in Forks and seeing my dad every day. It's fucking dangerous there. I wasn't an idiot. I wanted to live, thank you very much.

My mom closed her eyes and shot me a soft smile, "It's safer than here, sweets. You don't know it, but it's gotten pretty bad for people like us here. Besides, in Forks you have La Push to protect you. Please remember that when you're in danger." I wondered what she meant. Maybe I just couldn't see the danger here since I spent most of my life growing up here.

I snorted, "I wanted to go to La Push for protection, but dingus over there kidnapped me." I glared at Edward's unconscious form and slumped slightly.

She rolled her eyes and tutted, "Well then I suppose none of this could be helped. Still though, darling..." She took me into her arms and kissed the top of my head, "Be more careful next time."

My voice squeaked, "Next time?"

"Life is funny and dangerous, so you never know. And I don't want to lose you," she shrugged helplessly.

I nodded and pouted, "Okay. You know, Alice was here earlier. She said that you and Dr. Cullen talked about stuff while I was lost in my head."

A cheeky grin flickered onto my mom's face, "Dr. Cullen's such a nice man, for a vampire anyways. I told him how we escaped from the vampires that killed your grandparents. He wanted blood from me, but I said no. I can't since I can't clot that well, so he asked if he could have some from you. I know. I know. It weird and scary since I knew that he was a bloodsucker, but at the same time when he said he wanted to give his family the chance to be human again...well it as a sincere plea. I'll leave that decision up to you, dumplin'. And that's all we really talked about. The ins and outs of being a Higginbotham."

I leaned my head against my mom's shoulder, "Huh."

She threaded her fingers through my hair, "Yeah. On a completely different note, what are you going to do about your great so and so granduncle? He can't come to Florida with us."

"Wait. Florida?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"Mhmm. We've bought a vacation house and have decided to take a little romantic trip in a couple weeks."

"That's great, mom," I enthusiastically stated. I softly smiled, "Where in Florida?"

"Jacksonville!" she gushed as she started to talk with her hands, "It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't that bad. We found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean!"

I happily hummed, "That sounds exciting. I don't know what'll happen to Edward." I glanced at him and found that even though he still had his eyes closed he looked too tense to pass as asleep.

She nodded, "Yeah. If the Cullens and Hales turn human. I don't think you have to worry about it. Besides, they'll have a doctor on hand. Dr. Cullen, right?"

I nodded, "Yup, that's true."

She stood up and gently situated me into a lying down position, "What you need right now is some more rest, so we can get you discharged and fully healed. You hear me?"

I snorted out a laugh, "Yes, mom."

My mom beamed at me, her eyes sparkling, "Good girl. I got you a bunch of gifts that you can open at a later date and I also got you this." She pulled out a Rolling Scones apple cinnamon scone and I happily accepted it.

"Ahhh. Thanks mom, I love you," I quickly stated as I gobbled up my pastry. I savored the soft apple and cinnamon scone.

She chuckled, "I love you, too. I'll see you later tonight, and hopefully they'll let you out of this place by then."

A nurse came bustling in then to check all my tubes and wires. My mother kissed my forehead, tucked me in and soon left after that.

The nurse was checking the paper readout on my heart monitor. She nodded and scribbled something down before quietly saying, "I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute." After she left, the room was quiet again, making the beeping monitors echo against the walls.

As soon as she closed the door, Edward sat up and looked at me, "I'm human again."

"Are you okay?" I raised my eyebrows.

He smiled warily, "Yeah, for the most part. I feel like – sort of like an infant. I have to learn everything again I guess...I'm really looking forward to eat real food."

I barked out a laugh, "Food _is_ pretty good. How was your nap?"

"Interesting," his eyes narrowed and he huffed slightly glaring at me.

I rolled my eyes, "What?"

He looked down while he answered, "I didn't like how you guys talked about me, like I was some pet to deal with. I'm a person. A real, living, breathing, blood pumping person. I would want a say in where I go."

I stared at him blinking rapidly before I leaned up on my forearms, "Yeah. I guess you should get a say in where you go. You are technically over a hundred."

A bewildered look graced his face before he tipped his head back and laughed, "I guess I am pretty old. I'm glad I didn't turn into dust when I changed back. I was a little worried about that."

"So, can you still read minds?" I tilted my head and searched his face. He still looked like himself upon inspection, but at the same time he looked softer. Edward didn't look so much like stone anymore. His green eyes and freckles suited him.

He shook his head, a shit eating grin adorned his face, "Nope. It's kind of weird not knowing what everyone is thinking, but at the same time...it's so nice."

I nodded and smiled while I leaned back on my pillows. A pregnant pause drifted between us before Edward cleared his throat.

He shot me a curious look, "I'm your great so and so granduncle through your dad? How does that work?"

I let out a strangled cough. He shot me an alarmed look. I waved him away and hacked up a couch before shooting him a sheepish smile, "Well you see..."

Suddenly another nurse walked purposefully into the room. Edward frowned at me as she took in my vital signs with a practiced eye before turning to the monitors.

"You feeling okay, sweetheart?" she asked kindly, as she scribbled something down.

"Yup, I'm fine," I mombled tiredly as I shrugged, "I don't need anything."

"Okay. It's better if you don't get too stressed out, though. You need to rest and so do you Mr. Cullen. You both came out a car accident. Take it easy," she gently stated as she checked on Edward's vital signs.

"Okay," she murmured as she wrote something else on her notepad, "Hit the call button if either of you need anything, okay? And take it easy."

She gave Edward a stern look, and threw me one last smile before leaving. We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet except for the whirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, and the ticking of the big clock on the wall.

"So what do you wanna do now?" I wondered out loud. I glanced at my apparent get well gifts and smiled. People were so nice.

He chuckled, "Live I guess."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "No duh."

"Are you hungry?" he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse.

"Kind of, are you?" I asked cracking my back as I twisted my torso in bed.

"Yeah," he said gently, "I'm going to call for some food." He gently pressed the call nurse button. Silence rained down for a moment before the speaker near his wall beeped.

"Yes?" the speaker on the wall squawked.

"I think we're ready for food," he said calmly, his stomach made loud gurgling noises which caused me to giggle.

"I'll send in the nurse with some food for the two of you," the voice sounded out before going silent.

I hummed to myself and looked at the white hospital room's ceiling. I could hear Edward squirm in his bed and I giggle quietly to myself. This would make things interesting when we went back.


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:**

 **rafaekow** a: Thank you for your review! I hope you also enjoy this chapter. c:

 **Len Stormcrow** : You are **_amazing_**! I'm really happy that you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you for all your reviews. c:

Rene and Eliza aren't witches, but they're not exactly normal people either. Rene knew about magic from her parents because they thought it would be safer for her to know about the world in which the monsters, that wanted them dead, came from. Her parents and Charlie's parents died with that knowledge, which lead Rene to believe that it would be safer if Eliza didn't know about any of the supernatural. However, she was also wrong.

The whole paper cut part in this story isn't going to happen since Eliza isn't the only human, and Jasper has more self-control than the one in Meyer's universe.

 **25\. Life Moves On**

I ended up going home three days after my stay at the Arizona State hospital. Mrs. Fitzgerald patched me up with a couple more potions, and placed some new protections around my mom's place when she found out that we weren't exactly _normal_ people. Well...we were abnormal in the sense that a large group of vampires wanted us dead. After the potions took effect, I didn't need to have a cast or have any bruises on my body. Honestly, it made _both_ my legs feel brand new. I was inwardly irritated that my mom hid this side of the world from me. Sure, it was a hell of a lot more dangerous, but I could've instantly healed earlier this year. Anyways, it was all on the house for us when my mom told her the _whole_ story. Edward got the same treatment form Mrs. Fitzgerald, but the Cullens _had_ to pay for it. I think it was because Edward kind of got me into that whole mess in the first place.

After long conversations with Dr. Carlisle, I chose to give a little bit of blood to the Cullens and Hales. I was scared stiff of the needle that they had to insert, but I thought that it was for a good enough cause. Good enough to face one of my deep fears, anyways. I really hoped that they _appreciated_ what I went through.

My goodbye to my mom at the airport was just as heart clenching as the last time. The only upside with all this was that I was able to take a direct flight via the Cullen's small private plane. I still hated it, but it was better than the rickety plane I had ridden on before.

I sat on the inner seat near the isle and slowly chewed my gum. Dr. Carlisle said that it would be a couple hours before we landed at our destination, and I couldn't help but feel my stomach churn. Edward sat beside me leaning against the window, soundly asleep. I scowled at him, envious of how relaxed he was. For being a 'new' human being, he was taking to it like a duck to water.

Rosalie sat across from me and shot me a slow smile, "Thank you." She had always been a little aloof from me so this sudden warmth from her was a little jarring.

Earlier on in during the flight their coven, or should I say family? Anyways, they all decided to change back into humans in pairs over a period of time. This time frame would give them enough time to change their minds, just in case, and time to buy magical protections for themselves from Duckluck. That magical browser was pretty cool when all was said and done. It would also give them time to sort all their legal and financial matters. I didn't really pry much into it, since it really wasn't any of my business.

I nodded at her, and I felt as green as a frog as the plane shook just a little bit, "You're welcome." I held back in the vomit that I knew would come if I didn't concentrate. Why couldn't we take a boat again?

She shot me a concerned look, "Are you alright?"

A strained smile tugged at my lips, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little air sick."

"Okay," she nodded as though she knew how that felt and went back to browsing her TopGear magazine.

Rosalie had really warmed up to me in the last couple days. It was probably because, in a way, I was helping her have kids. They had all pulled straws and the next ones to change back into humans were Emmett and Rosalie after a couple weeks back in Forks.

The next ones after them would be Carlisle and Esme. Jasper and Alice were still on the fence about this whole thing. I think they would eventually cave and become humans too though. Maybe the magical protections would help them decide later on.

As the rain gently pelted the plane I concentrated on trying to sleep and ignoring my ongoing nausea. The last thought that I had before darkness took me was how the Cullens and Hales would have to have a new treaty set up with La Push. I snickered at the possible expression that would probably slip onto my godfather's face when he found out they could change back.

When I finally got home, my dad crushed me into a bear hug. He swung me around a little bit under the slight drizzle and I couldn't help but laugh. My hair felt matted against the rain, it was kind of cold, but at the same time...I was finally safe. Well...safeish. The Cullens and Hales left us to our own devices when we landed. Esme had quietly stated that they needed to go shopping for supplies as they passed by us. This made sense, especially since they were all going to be human in the near future. I waved to them when my dad placed me back onto the ground. Edward flushed and waved back. My great so and so granduncle wasn't as smooth as I thought he'd be as a human.

My dad ruffled my hair, mussing it up, as we got into his police cruiser, "So how was Phoenix? Your mom said you guys got to do some mother and daughter bonding while her wrist was healing."

I nodded as I buckled myself into my seat, "Yeah. It was pretty fun. I even got to hang out with Mrs. Fitzgerald too! The only downside was that my old dance studio was burnt down while I was there."

"You didn't burn it down, did you?" my dad asked jokingly as we started driving down the wet highway. I hated the dance bitch bullies, not the dance studio itself. Not really anyways.

I looked out of my window and saw the forest blur by us. I shot my dad a funny look and shook my head, "Nah. It was just some arsonist apparently. It shook a couple people up in mom's neighborhood though." I took in the mixture of greens and browns and inwardly beamed. I had missed how there were plants and trees everywhere. It really wasn't anything like that in Phoenix.

He nodded while he switched on the radio, "Yeah. I could see them getting kind of scared of something like that. This is especially true since it's so hot and humid out there. The people that live nearby that place were lucky they didn't get singed themselves." An old blues station sounded out of his car's speakers. It was one of my dad's favorite stations.

I paled at that thought, "I never thought about that." I really hoped that no one got hurt when they torched the place. Did they check that before we left. A worried frown marred my forehead. God damn it.

"Mhmm. Well, it's probably all fine, sweet pea. What matters now is that your mom's okay and that you're back here with me," he shot a silly smile my way and I felt relief pool in my stomach. My dad was right. Everything would be okay from now on, right?

On Wednesday, the next day, school was a big brouhaha of a mess, for me anyways, since I had disappeared for a couple days. People that I didn't even know asked me about where I went. I was uncomfortable, but I figured that it was just because people normally didn't disappear like that. Well...unless they got 'lost' in the woods, but those people never came back. My dad still couldn't find any of the missing people, and most parents were losing hope. This was especially true when no one could ever find the bodies. I think a bunch of people were holding a candle light vigil on Saturday.

Edward was much more approachable as a human apparently. More people seemed to be drawn to him, ironically enough. I only noticed this because he started using me as a meat shield. It wasn't a fun job, let me tell you. All throughout the rest of the week, girls flocked to him. The only perk about all of this was that he would turn a bright red. I think he wasn't handling it too badly though. He didn't rudely rebuff them, and he tried to be much nicer than he was before. I think it was because he was as human as they were now, too. This meant that he was just as flawed as them and he couldn't claim a 'higher ground'. At least...that's what I thought.

On a lighter note, I was finally able to have my dance battle, via the Wii, with my girlfriends on Friday night. We had a lot of fun and ate a lot of junk food. I found out that Jessica and Mike were on a more on and off relationship. Ben and Angela were getting along as a newish couple. And Lauren and Eric were doing okay. She apparently didn't like how he still drooled at other girls though. Ashley and Bree had gone on some sort of French class trip up to Seattle for something on Thursday and hadn't come back yet.

On the weekend, I came down to La Push with Edward and the other Cullens. They had to discuss the change in terms of their treaty. I ended up dropping by my godbrother's place to bug him since my dad was out fishing with Harry again. Besides that, all my other friends were out on dates with their significant others, but that was fine. I didn't need a boyfriend. It's not like I was jealous of them or anything.

My godbrother got it into his head that we, me, Quil and him, should go hiking since it was pretty nice out today. Embry was supposed to come along too, but apparently he had other obligations. I didn't really like hiking, but eh. I liked spending time with my goofy godbrother and my childhood friend enough to tolerate it.

Jacob sprawled across the living room floor - taking up the whole room - and, for a full twenty minutes, drew a complicated web across the key section of his map while I perched on a kitchen chair and talked to uncle Billy. Quil was late, but that wasn't new.

"So you kids are going up on the trails?" my godfather asked as he passed me a tin of cookies.

I happily plucked one from the tin and gobbled it up, "Mhmm. Jacob said he found something cool last week and wanted to show us." I rolled my eyes and snorted. If it was that cool, Jacob just should've taken a photo of it before he left. Sometimes, I swear.

Jacob looked up from his map and stuck his tongue out, "Shut up. It was cool and I had a dead cellphone at that point. Don't judge me."

Uncle Billy laughed, "We'll don't go off of the trails. Your dad's warned me about the 'supposed' bears that keep scaring people into getting lost." A dark look pulled onto his face and he sighed, "Those bears."

I tilted my head and tried to reassure my godfather, "We'll be fine." I subtly motioned to my left leg. I kept my dagger firmly strapped to it even though James and Victoria were gone. I kept my gun and holy water on me still as well. I couldn't shake off the paranoia. Not with my nightmares of Victoria continuing even though she was gone. Well...I at least assumed they were gone since the Cullens and Hales never really brought it up again. Especially since they decided to move to a house closer to mine, which was both good and bad. And very weird.

My godfather's face lightened and he slumped into his wheelchair as his shoulders relaxed, "That's good."

"Maybe we'll see the super bear," Jacob joked, eyes back on his design. I rolled my eyes at him. The super bear the Forks Focus, our local newspaper, kept going on about was probably just something paranormal. Or fake. One or the other.

Uncle Billy barked out laughed at Jacob and wiggled his brows, "Maybe you should take a jar of honey, just in case."

I choke laughed on my cookie. Jacob and uncle Billy shot me a worried look that I waved away. I coughed up my cookie and let out a relieved breath. God damn. Note to self: don't listen to bad jokes and eat at the same time. My face felt hot as I fanned myself with my hand. I shot the two of them a sheepish smile, "I'm okay."

"Alright, Chippewa. Try not to die by choking," uncle Billy lightheartedly said as he patted my knee.

I inwardly withered. Wasn't that how James almost killed me? I sighed. I would definitely have to put in more time at our makeshift shooting range.

Jake chuckled, "Knowing her she'd probably do that and end up being bear chow." He marked something absently on his map.

I rolled my eyes, "No I won't. Besides, the super bear won't eat me since I'll be faster than you, beanstalk."

"Good luck with that!" Jacob simply said, rolling his eyes as he refolded the map.

The door swung open and Quil stepped through huffing a little. He shot us a tired smile, "Sorry I'm late. Let's go."

I giggled and hopped off of the counter. Jacob gathered his things and gave uncle Billy a quick hug. He and Quil went ahead to my truck. I gave my godfather a tight hug.

"Have fun," Billy rumbled as he patted my bag.

I straightened up and smiled, "Will do, chief."

He barked out a loud laugh while he wheeled himself towards the kitchen.

We drove to the very end of the dirt road, stopping near the sign that marked the beginning of the trail head. I had never been to this parts of the La Push woods, and my stomach reacted nervously. This might be a very bad thing, but it would be worth it to explore a little. I mean...what harm could there really be without any vampires? Right?

I got out and looked at the dense wall of green and let out out a long whistle. Quil hiked up his backpack and hummed beside me.

"Hmm," Jake muttered as he slipped out his map and quietly unfolded it.

I tilted my head at him, "What?"

He looked at the direction in front of us and then pointed down to his map, "There's a trail not too far here."

I peeked over him at the map. Huh. There was a clearly marked trail, go figure. Quil plopped his head on my shoulder and looked at the map as well.

I blew a raspberry on his face, "I'm not a head rest."

He winked at me, "I would have figured you for that kind of girl though. You're short enough for it."

"Not me," I smiled blithely and jabbed my thumb towards my chest, "I'm a rebel."

He laughed, and then pulled pulled away as Jacob got up. We looked at him expectantly.

He waved us away and murmured, "Give me a second." He held the compass in a skilled way, twisting the map around till it angled the way he wanted.

"Okay - first line on the grid. Let's do it," he beamed at us and marched on ahead. I shook my head as I chuckled under my breath. So much enthusiasm for a hike.

Quil bumped my shoulder playfully and grinned, "He really likes hikes."

I softly smiled and nodded, "He's always liked hikes. Ever since we were kids." I lowered my voice a little and leaned into Quil as we walked along the trail, "I think it was because aunt Sarah always took us hiking every other weekend."

Quil let out a soft murmur, "Ahhh...that makes sense."

We walked in relative silence for a while, but I was okay with it. I took in deep breaths of the cool crisp forest air and sighed. It smelt like freshly watered dirt, wild grass, and something else entirely. I loved it.

After some time, I could tell that we were slowing Jacob up, but he didn't complain. Yellow beams of light glittered through the forest which made the moss and the leaves on the trees even greener. The trees on this trail were beyond huge. I honestly thought I could fit about six people into one tree trunk, it was that wide. I lagged behind a little more when I found wild mushrooms growing on a downed tree.

Quil pulled me away from taking some when he noted that I was further down the trail. I made a face at him, but he just rolled his eyes at me. Spoil sport.

We caught up to Jacob when we rounded a corner past some pretty tall ferns. He whistled cheerfully, an unfamiliar tune, swinging his arms and moving easily through the rough undergrowth. The shadows didn't seem as dark as usual, and I was utterly grateful. Dark inky forests were the backgrounds of my dreams lately...along with flashes of Victoria's hair and teeth. I shook off those dark thoughts and focused on the sun shine that peeked out past the branches of the trees.

Jacob checked the compass every few minutes, keeping us in a straight line with one of the radiating spokes of his grid. He really looked like he knew what he was doing. I idly wondered if this was from a lot of practice. Did these trails remind him of aunt Sarah?

While we stopped for a water break my mind wandered. I took a deep gulp from the canteen Quil passed around and I grew curious. We really hadn't heard much from Embry expect that he couldn't come on this hike, but that was from his mom. I idly wondered what that was about. Even gangs let you have a life outside of them, right?

"Hey... guys?" I asked hesitantly while we sat on a rather large downed tree. Jacob took another swig of our shared canteen. Quil looked up at me for a moment from his position near my legs while he searched for something in his backpack.

Jacob tilted his head towards me, "Yeah?"

I looked up at the patches of blue sky I could spot past the canopy of leaves above us, "Can I ask you guys a question?" I lazily kicked my legs out, not quite reaching the ground because of the sheer width of the downed tree.

Quil snorted and straightened up with a bag of trail mix in his hands, "That is a question, silly buns." He took a hand full and stuffed it into his mouth and began to chew quietly.

Jacob made a gagging face at us and swiftly snorted, "He does have a point." He handed back the canteen to Quil and grabbed a handful of trail mix that he quickly munched on.

I rolled my eyes, "How are things... with Embry? Is he back to normal yet?" I shook my head when Quil silently offered me some trail mix.

Jacob was silent for a minute, still munching on the trail mix in his mouth. When he swallowed loudly he sighed as he glanced down, "No. He's not back to normal." His mouth pulled down at the corners.

I frowned. That was weird. Quil let out a deep breath, quickly put everything and hiked up his backpack back onto his shoulders. Jacob gently hopped off of the large log and Quil helped gently land back down onto the ground.

Things were quiet for a little bit before Quil quietly murmured, "He's still with Sam's group."

While we hiked up further the hill, Jacob snorted, "That's putting it likely."

I tilted my head and let out a huff, "Shouldn't he have time for us too?"

Quil sarcastically laughed and rolled his eyes, "One would think the people that knew him as babies would count more than some hall monitor gang."

Jacob paused as we slowly got to the top of a plateau, "Yeah..."

I shook my head, "God damn." I looked around at this slight clearing before plopping down onto a short boulder nearby, "Are they still looking at you guys funny?"

Jacob stared through the trees, "Sometimes." He waved us towards something and I inwardly sighed. I was getting pretty tired at this point. I pouted up at Quil.

Quil helped pull me up and tutted, "Lazy bones." He leaned in and my heart picked up a little when he whispered, "More often than not, at this point. Something is blowing our way."

I flushed, "Yeah?"

He nodded and pulled me along behind him as we raced over roots and wild plants to catch up to Jacob. When we caught up to him, I pulled on his arm and huffed. Jacob shot me an amused look while I tried to catch my breath.

I poked his side, ""And uncle Billy?"

"As helpful as ever," Jacob said with a sour look. He shook his head and pushed me off of his shoulder.

I shot him an irritated look and pouted, "And I was gonna say our couch was always open. Pshhh..."

Quil barked out a laugh and patted me on the shoulder, "But think of the position that would put Charlie in when Billy calls the police to report Jacob's kidnapping."

He laughed at that, breaking out of his unnatural gloom, "That's true."

I laughed too, glad to have Jacob back to normal, "Alright. Alright."

We stopped when Jacob said we'd gone six miles, cut west for a short time, and headed back along another line of his grid. Everything looked exactly the same as the way in, and I had a feeling that Jacob's silly quest was pretty much doomed. I admitted as much when the sun reached its peak, but Jacob was more confident that we were getting closer to the amazing thing that he had seen.

After an hour or so we eventually came to an open meadow and I was shocked that I was wrong. Jacob smugly smiled at me while Quil openly gaped. We all walked forward and gazed around us. It was an entire meadow of wild flowers. There were white daisies, purple asters, sweet pea flowers, primroses, geraniums, flax flowers, and so many other different flowers present that I just couldn't speak for a moment.

Jacob plopped down on a nearby log, "See. I told you guys we'd find it."

In the middle of the flowering field was a small stream with scattered boulders. Further into the field was a small natural water feature. It reflected the bright blue sky and I couldn't help, but let out a bewildered laugh. I shook my head and stuck my tongue out, "Alright, Mr. Bigshot. You were right."

Quil let out a long whistle, "This was worth it." He bumped my shoulder with his side and I rolled my eyes at him.

Jacob happily nodded, "I know."

We all took a bunch of photos, and a couple couple selfies with the meadow as our background before we decided to head back after eating our packed meals. I was honestly glad that Quil had the sense to pack all this stuff, even if he looked like a dork. The light was already weaning making the forest turn into a deeper green while orange light flickered in between their branches. While we walked I noted that the other pieces of vegetation seemed to deepen in color. I shivered. I did _not_ want to be out here when it turned really dark.

I pulled on Jacob's and Quil's arms to make them move faster as I marched on ahead. Jacob shook off my hand and laughed, "Stop being so scared. It's not like we saw any bears out. Besides, we'd protect you, right Quil?"

Quil chortled and nodded, "Yup. I kind of hope we see the bear on our way back though. I'm sort of disappointed about that." He let me continue to drag him behind me while Jacob languidly walked behind us.

"Yes, me, too," I agreed sarcastically while I rolled my eyes. A hysterical little laugh escaped my mouth, "Maybe we'll get lucky and something will eat us!"

Quil tugged on my arm and forced me to stop. He shot me an amused look, "Bears don't want to eat people. We don't taste that good."

Jacob barked out a laugh, "This one would be too little of a snack any ways." I swiped at him with a fist. He gleefully dodged it and ran ahead cackling.

Quil grinned at me as the sun continued to fall. I sighed and let Quil's hand drop. He strolled beside me as we caught up to Jacob.

He hummed and winked, "Of course, you might be an exception. I bet you'd taste good."

"Thanks so much," I tartly stated, looking away. I did the best that I could to hide my blush.

He bumped my shoulder, "Not that I would try to eat you. It's not like _I'm_ the super bear."

I rolled my eyes. Moment gone. God damn it. Oh well. I hesitantly smiled at him and nodded. Inwardly I sighed because at this point I wouldn't hold my breath. For all I knew about the supernatural, he along with Jacob and the others could've been super bears too. Well...besides being wolf shifters anyways. Could they shift into anything besides wolves? Who knows. I bet I would find out about that eventually without needing to ask, though.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Thank you to those that read, followed, and favorited this story.

You guys are all so awesome! This story has over one thousand views and that makes me all fuzzy inside. Internet sparklers for all! c:

 **26\. Ripples**

Time quickly sped along into a decent routine after everything died down; school, my friends, La Push, and my parents, - though not necessarily in that order. My mom was too busy to reply to me since she was on a whirlwind vacation with Phil. I didn't hear much from the Cullens and Hales these days either. They were apparently adjusting to the whole being human thing. From what I could recall during my lunch conversations with them, Rosalie and Emmett were human as well. They both planned to get married and start a family once high school was done. Edward was fitting into his human mold swimmingly. He had tried out for the school baseball team and had gotten in during tryouts. I tried to support him now and again, but it felt too weird to really continue.

So far, there didn't seem to be any supernatural trouble. I still felt paranoid though because my nightmares didn't end. Sometimes...I would have to take a T3 to keep them at bay. I didn't want to get hooked on my pain meds though, especially since I didn't need them for my legs anymore. Of course, I couldn't fool myself completely. When I stopped to take stock of my life, which I tried not to do too often, I couldn't ignore the implications of my behavior. I supposed I would just have to find some other way to stop my nightmares. I just didn't know how yet. The only consolation that I had was that James and Victoria were dead, so they couldn't mean anything...right?

I was getting better with my gun after my weekly after school jaunts to the shooting range with Quil, which meant fewer misses. This helped both bolster my confidence with a gun and the increased cop jokes from my friends. My dad seemed to happy about my being a better shot, although he still thought I was using a bb gun and not something entirely too real.

I didn't keep track of the days that passed, there was no reason to since it all sort of just blended together. So I was surprised by the date when Quil brought it up on one of our shooting practice days.

He was waiting when I pulled up in front of his house. His hair had gotten shaggy and I personally thought he needed a haircut. His olive green duffle bag, his gun bag, was slung across his shoulder and he goofily grinned at me.

I waved at him as he jogged towards my truck. He waved back and slung his bag onto the bed of my truck. I idly hummed a random song from the radio under my breath as I waited for him to get in.

I gave him a short wave and a small smile, "Hey."

"Happy Valentine's Day," Quil blithely stated, as he ducked his head while he cleared his throat. He held out a small, pink box, balancing it on his palm. It was a cutesy box of conversation hearts.

"Well, I feel like a schmuck," I mombled, flushing to my ears. I sheepishly scratched the back of my head, "Is today Valentine's Day?" Was it already February? Fuck.

Quil barked out a loud laugh as he shook his head, "You can be such a space case sometimes. Yes, it is the fourteenth of February...so are you going to be my Valentine? Since you didn't get me a fifty-cent box of candy, it's the least you can do." He shook the box of conversation hearts and I stuck my tongue out at him while he put on his seat belt.

I started the car up and contemplated his words. They were teasing, but could he really mean it? I didn't want to assume something that would ruin our friendship. Him kissing me under the rain when we were younger almost made us stop being friends. I didn't really want to loose Quil because of something silly as conversation hearts or Valentines day.

"What exactly does that entail?" I hedged as I quickly sped along the dirt road that led to our makeshift shooting range.

Quil popped in a random conversation heart into his mouth and loudly sucked on it, "The usual - slave for life, that kind of thing." He winked and I couldn't help, but relax somewhat. I swear. When I think this guy is going to zig, he zags.

"Oh, well, if that's all," I rolled my eyes and smiled. I opened my mouth wide and he happily plopped in a heart into my mouth. It was a chalky strawberry, but I found that it was still mildly pleasant. We rode down our winding trail with the windows down while we sang like dorks with the radio on in the background.

Shooting practice went as well as it usually did and we even caught some of Sam's creepy gang cliff diving again. I huffed when a strand of hair refused to leave my face while I tried to shoot another target, "Oh come on."

Quil chuckled and patted the shotgun in his hands, "Come on. Some other people want to try and shoot the targets too."

I rolled my eyes and aimed for the paper target. The wind made it sway slightly and I paused before I took my shot. The bullet whooshed through the air and punctured the target closer to the middle than I had expected. I paused and Quil let out a loud whistle.

I slowly placed my gun onto the ground and started to jump up and down, "I did it!"

While I was twirling and laughing like an idiot I felt Quil engulf me into a big hug. I took a breath and looked at him, "What."

He beamed at me before placing me back onto the ground, "Congrats. So, what are we doing tomorrow? You know you have to hangout me on the weekend since you're my Valentine." He winked.

I rolled my eyes and pulled out a sandwich and bit into it before eating, "Umm...I don't know if I can. I made plans with my friends in Forks." We had made the plans weeks ago to go as a group to The Lego Movie the week after it was out. I shot him a sheepish smile.

Quil's face fell. I caught the expression in his dark eyes before he dropped them to look at the ground.

"You'll come too, right?" I added quickly, "I'm sure the others won't mind. Besides, the Lego Movie is supposed to be awesome."

Quil took a seat on one of our camping chairs and gave me a quirked smile, "You'd like me to come, even with your other friends there?"

"Yes," I admitted frankly, while I plopped down onto the chair beside his. I crossed my legs and stared up at the slightly cloudy sky, "I'll have a lot more fun if you're there. We can even bring Jacob and we'll make it even more of a party."

"Jacob's gonna freak. Senior girls we don't know," he chortled and rolled his eyes while he sipped on a nearby water bottle.

I unscrewed my own water bottle and took a sip before I playfully added, "I'll try to get him a good selection."

The rest of our shooting session was pretty relaxed and I ended up getting a bulls eye at one point. I honestly think that it was mostly dumb luck though. Our conversation during the ride back was just as relaxing.

Dinner with my dad was surprising. He had finally found one of the missing people that had disappeared months ago. She refused to say anything though. Things were finally all looking up. I honestly thought that my luck with life was finally changing. I refused to say it out loud though. I didn't want to jinx it. Since my mom and Phil were still on their romantic getaway I didn't bother to text her. I did note down my day so I could tell her about it when she became more available. The guys didn't mind two extra people, but I was told that I had to drive in that case since Mike's new van couldn't fit that many people. Sleep that night was blissfully blank, and my T3s were left untouched.

When I got home from the grocery store, a very familiar car was parked in front of my house. Jacob was leaning against the hood, a huge grin lighting up his face. Quil stood nearby him smirking. I thought he was still missing a key part. I supposed that he couldn't wait for my birthday gift. I would have to think of something else for his birthday this summer, but I didn't mind. The Rabbit looked gorgeous.

"No way!" I shouted as I jumped out of the truck, my groceries would be okay for a little bit.

I circled around his car and whistled, "You're done! I can't believe it! You finished the Rabbit!" It was a bright yellow, much like my own truck, and it was so old timey looking.

He beamed and patted the hood gently, "Just last night. This is the maiden voyage."

"Incredible," I held my hand up for a high five.

He smacked his hand against mine, "Yeah. I know I'm awesome." He quickly pulled me into a loose head lock and mussed up my hair.

I let out a yelp and pouted, "Mean."

I felt Quil's hands pull me out and his twisting his fingers threading mine, "Come on, man."

I smiled at him and left his hand where it was. He was really warm and this whole hand holding thing made butterflies churn my stomach.

Jacob made a face at us and shook his head, "It's all in fun."

He shot a look at my full trunk of food, "You want some help putting away your groceries, darling _godsister_ of mine." I swear he shot a dirty look at Quil. I felt Quil's fingers slip from mine and I did my best to not scowl at Jacob.

Quil pulled on a strain smile, "Yeah. WE should totally help our, our favorite shortie."

I frowned at the two of them and nodded, "Okay. Thanks guys." We all went to the bed of my truck and quickly and carefully unloaded everything into the house. A couple gross bad puns ended up lightening the atmosphere, but I kept glancing between them expecting something else to mess it up.

We all decided to wait outside on my shallow porch for the other guys to show up. Jacob leaned against the wall by the door and happily asked, "So do I get to drive tonight?"

"Definitely," I said smiling, "I'm tired of driving so far. It'd be nice to just ride around in a car."

Quil snorted, "Man. If I had enough money for a car, I would never get tired of driving."

I rolled my eyes at him while Jacob barked out a laugh, "Nah. I kind of miss walking." Before Quil could make an argument for the beauties of driving everywhere, Mike's Suburban chugged around the corner.

We all went down towards Jake's Rabbit to where Mike had parked. Mike, Jessica, Lauren, Tyler, Conner, and Ashley hopped out of the car. I happily waved to everyone and we all ended up trading 'hello' hugs. Conner shot me a wink and I recoiled back for a moment. Quil slipped his hand into mine and I bit back a laugh at his scowl.

"Hey, Eliza," he greeted me, and then his eyes turned wary as he looked up at Quil. I glanced briefly around us as my friends chatted it up with Jacob. He and Ashley certainly looked like they were getting along. They all looked kind of busy, so I didn't really know who I could pull into this mess to diffuse everything. I inwardly sighed.

A strained smile pulled its way onto my mouth, "Hey, Conner! This is my childhood friend, Quil."

"Hey," Conner held out his hand. I wondered why Conner was acting this way. He hadn't shown interest in me before. I'd have to figure that out later.

"Nice to meet you," Quil simply stated as they shook hands. They locked hands with more force than necessary. When their grip broke, Conner flexed his fingers. Quil couldn't get that smug smirk of his off of his face. I rolled my eyes.

I heard the phone ringing from anorak pocket and sheepishly excused myself, "Sorry guys. I have to take this."

I walked away and I felt my shoulders sag with relief. That was weird. I answered my phone, "Hello?"

Ben's tenor rang out from the other end, "Hey, Eliza. Angie's paying her respects to the porcelain Gods."

I paused in my idle pacing, "What? Is she okay?"

Ben let out a slight chuckle, "Yeah. I think she just has the flu. We can't make it to the Lego Movie. Sorry."

I shook my head, "Nah. It's okay. Make sure Angie gets better and we'll fill you in when we see you at school. We could even reschedule if you guys want."

I heard Angie groaning in the background. Ben paused for a moment before I heard him again, "Yeah. Angie says that we could reschedule if you guys want to see it again."

I smiled to myself, "Alright. I hope she gets better. Bye Ben."

I heard chatter on the other end before Ben said, "Yeah. Angie says good bye and I'm sorry."

I laughed, "No worries Angie. Bye guys." Soon after that the line went dead. I pocketed my phone and slowly walked back towards everyone.

When I got back it didn't seem like Quil and Conner had made any progress towards friendship in my absence. They were several yards apart, facing away from each other as everyone chatted with each other.

"Angie is sick," I told them glumly. I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly, "She and Ben aren't coming."

"I guess the flu is making another round. Austin and Sam were out today, too," Mike stated as we all started dividing up to go into our separate vehicles.

Jessica nodded, "I think we should be fine if we drink orange juice though. That was the last that I heard from them as we got into Jacob's Rabbit.

Jacob scoffed, "Orange juice isn't gonna solve things."

I shrugged as I climbed into the back seat and settled into my seat, "I dunno. I'm pretty sure it saved a lot of people from scurvy."

Quil laughed as he got into the passenger seat, "You gotta admit that, Jake." Jacob shrugged while he got in and started up his pride and joy. Jacob was his normal sunny self, chattering away while the radio blared in the background.

I leaned forward and rested my chin on the shoulder of Quil's seat. My cheek almost touched his and I poked him slightly while a pregnant pause settled in the car. Quil looked back at me with a raised brow, "What?"

I tilted my head and smiled at him, "Please roll down the windows."

Jacob barked out a laugh, "I swear. You're so weird. Why do you always like doing that on every car ride? I swear, I've almost frozen my balls off with that habit of yours."

I pouted and poked Quil again. He rolled his eyes and obliged while I stuck my tongue out at Jacob, "I just like to, man. Don't judge me."

When we got to the theater, everyone was already in line getting tickets. I jogged over and got in line while Jacob offered to help get us some snacks. Eventually we were all seated in the nice cool theater. It had old vintage looking seats, sticky floors, and smelt like freshly popped popcorn. It wasn't the biggest theater, but I liked it. It was just the right temperature too. I took off my jacket and placed it onto my lap while I popped in gummies into my mouth. This was going to be great.

Both Quil and Conner had claimed the armrests on either side of me. Both of their hands rested lightly, palms up, in an unnatural looking position. Like steel bear traps, open and ready. Quil was in the habit of taking my hand whenever the opportunity presented itself, but here in the darkened movie theater I knew that it would have a different significance. I really couldn't believe that Conner was thinking the same thing, but his hand was placed exactly like Jacob's. I sighed I would not do this with all of my friend watching. Besides, Conner was probably just being a weirdo.

I folded my arms tightly across my chest and concentrated on watching the movie.

It was exactly what everyone professed to be. Awesome. The little Lego people were awesome and I silently marveled at how well everything looked. Stop motion was amazing. Conner, who had decided to take a seat next to me, was stiff as he glared toward the fringe of curtain above the screen. I idly wondered if he didn't like Lego, but dismissed it. I mean, who didn't like Lego? Come on.

Conner gave up first. About halfway through the movie, he pulled his arm back, and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. He looked greener than I did when I rode on planes.

"Conner, are you okay?" I whispered and rubbed his shoulder.

Jessica and Mike turned around to look at him as he groaned out. Before any of us could ask, Conner bolted for the door.

I got up to follow him, and Jacob and Quil copied me immediately. Ashley looked partially put out, but when I glanced around everyone was back to watching the movie like nothing was wrong. I shook my head.

"No, stay," I whispered, and shrugged, "I can make sure he's okay." Jacob shot me a grateful smile and sat back down next to a satisfied Ashley.

Quil came with me anyway.

"You don't have to come. I know you love both Lego and stop motion movies," I quietly stated as we walked up the aisle. I was inwardly disappointed no one else had gone after Conner to check on him. I sighed. I really wanted to watch this movie too.

"That's okay. I can always catch it from a torrent," his voice rose from a whisper to its normal pitch as we walked out into the hallway.

I bumped his shoulder and sighed, "It's not the same." I held onto my jacket with one arm and pouted.

He shrugged, "Eh. What can you do?"

There was no sign of Conner in the hallway, so Quil offered to if Conner had booked it to the men's washroom. I didn't have to wait long for Quil to come back. He looked pretty grossed out.

"Oh, he's in there, all right," he said, shuddering. He coughed when he saw my bewildered look, "He did not make it to the toilet all the way..."

I shivered and shook my limbs, "Ewww...gross." Perhaps we should get Conner some water and I knew that I had some Tums in my pockets somewhere.

We were all alone in the hallway. Both theaters were halfway through the movie, so it was pretty much deserted. It was quiet enough for us to hear the popcorn popping at the concession counter in the lobby.

I went and got some water from the nearby vending machine. When I came back I found Quil had gone to sit on the wooden bench against the wall. He caught sight of me and patted the space beside him.

"I checked on him again. He sounded like he was going to be in there for a while," he said, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he settled in to wait. I sighed. There really goes our movie.

I plopped down beside him and let the water bottle rest between my legs. He looked out into space for a bit before settling and shifting over to put his arm around my shoulders.

"Eliza," he said in a quiet voice before shooting me a nervous smile, "Tell me something."

"What?" I asked, as I raised my brow. Quil was acting weird.

"You like me, right?" he looked away, but I could see that he was blushing to his ears.

I snuggled into his side and gently patted his thigh, "You know I do." I didn't think anything would come of it at this point. I didn't know if it was me, him, or my stupid godbrother getting in the way, but nothing had happened in a year and a half now since our first kiss.

"Better than that joker puking his guts out in there?" he gestured towards the bathroom door.

"Yep," I simply stated as I rolled my eyes. That was a pretty stupid question.

"Better than any of the other guys you know?" he hedged and gulped. I wondered where he was going with this. Wait. Were we going to kiss again? Was this really happening. My heart picked up.

"Better than the girls, too," I pointed out, flushing. Please let this be where that's going.

He grinned down at me, "Good. I like you the best too. I really care about what you think about me..."

"I think you're beyond great, and that's not going to change," I gulped. Why was it so hot in here all of the sudden? I fought the urge to fan myself.

Quil's face turned thoughtful, "I don't think Jacob would like it if we were anything more than friends..."

I cringed. Jacob was pretty vocal about our supposed betrayal to him when he had found out about our first kiss. That entire incident was too embarrassing for words.

"We don't have to talk about it," he told me as he brought me closer with his one arm. Our thighs were touching and I was finding it hard to think. In any case, I was glad that we didn't have to rehash that entire incident.

I laid my head on the side of his chest and sighed, "Thanks."

"No worries. Don't get mad at me for hanging around and still trying, okay?" Quil quietly murmured.

I turned to look up at him and found that he had a determined look on his face, "Because I'm not giving up. I've got loads of time, and Jacob can't be a pissy kid forever."

I let out a sad little laugh, "Yeah. He can be a bit much."

Quil let his head fall back, "What I don't get is, why he's so against it..."

"I think it's because he might be afraid to loose me like Rachel and Rebecca," I told him honestly as I fiddled with the water bottle.

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

My lips pulled down into a scowl, "It's what he yelled at me when he found out that we had our first kiss. He was afraid that you'd take me away from him and that I'd just leave him like Rebecca and Rachel. To be fair, I guess he was still shocked when they just up and left last year."

"How could he think that?" he sighed and rubbed his head with his free hand while his other arm wrapped around my shoulders tightly.

"I don't know," I sighed. I'd never indicated that I would ever do something like that to Jacob, but I think that's what scared him. Because at the end of the day, Rebecca and Rachel didn't seem like the type to run either. Truthfully, I still couldn't wrap my head around it all.

"You don't care what he thinks, do you?" Quil jerked his thumb toward the bathroom.

I snorted out a laugh, "When it concerns you? Not at all."

"Well...that's a good sign now, eh?" He poked me in the ribs and chuckled. I rolled my eyes at him and couldn't help, but smile. I guess I wouldn't be getting another kiss. Not that, that was what I was angling for when I went on this foray with my friends. We sat there quietly for a minute until his pinky finger absently brushed my exposed shoulder.

"That's a funny scar you've got there," he suddenly said, twisting my hand to examine it. "How did that happen?"

He turned me and I flushed to the tips of my ears. A smirk graced his face as his index finger followed the line of the long silvery crescent that was barely visible against my pale skin.

I awkwardly coughed, "It's a really long story involving me doing some real stupid shit."

Quil shot me a bewildered look before he nodded. "It's cold," he murmured, pressing lightly against the place where James had cut me with his fucked up wendigo teeth.

And then Jacob stumbled out of the theater, his face was ashen and covered in sweat. He looked horrible.

We got up and helped sit Jacob down onto the bench. "Oh, Jacob," I gasped out and felt his forehead. He felt like he was burning up

"Do you guys mind leaving early?" he whispered. He looked at the both of us apologetically.

"No, of course not," Quil shook his head while we both helped him up onto his feet. He looked unsteady. I inwardly frowned. He was fine the last we had seen of him...I looked at my watch and bit my inner cheek. He was fine twenty minutes ago. I wondered if it was something that he ate here.

"I'm sorry," Jacob quietly mombled.

I gently patted his back and waved away his apology, "It's fine. We can just watch this movie another time, right Quil?"

Before Quil could answer, Conner came out of the bathroom looking better than we had last saw him. He shot us a curious look and walked over, "You guys going?"

I nodded and apologetically smiled, "Our ride isn't feeling so great. You feeling better?"

Quil nodded, "Yeah, man. You looked pretty green."

Conner shrugged bonelessly, "Yeah. I think it was the hot dog. I'll tell the guys you all had to go back early. There's always the next movie." He gave us a short wave before entering back into the theater that was still playing the Lego Movie.

We slowly made it to the front of the cinema, but before we could reach the door Quil paused. I gave him an expectant look while Jacob groaned.

"Just a sec," Quil stated holding up a finger. He sped towards the concession stand. "Could I have an empty popcorn bucket?" he asked the salesgirl. She looked at Jacob once, and then thrust a bucket at him.

"Get him outside, please," she begged. I inwardly cringed. She was obviously the one who would have to clean the floor.

Quil and I towed Jacob out into the cool, wet air. He inhaled deeply before we got Jacob into the back of the Rabbit. Quil handed him the bucket with a serious gaze, "Don't blow chunks.

"Please," Jacob said weakly rolling his eyes.

He shot me a pleading look, "Could you drive, please? I don't trust this dingus to get us back in one piece."

Quil huffed and got into the passenger seat as he muttered, "The one time I drive a golf cart into you. Let it go man."

I snorted at that memory and took the keys from Jacob. I slung on my coat and shook the tiny bottle of Tums at Jacob. I glanced at him from the review mirror and saw his grateful expression. His scalding hand took the bottle from me and I hoped he took enough as I started up the car. We rolled down both the windows, and let the icy air circulate around us. I really hoped it would help Jacob feel a little better. The road felt longer on the way back when Jacob started whimpering. My heart clenched. I had never seen my little godbrother in so much pain, _ever_. Between the two of us, I always got sick and he _never_ did. I felt absolutely helpless as I started to speed down the road. I had to get him home.

Quil put a hand on my shoulder and murmured as Jacob barfed into his popcorn bucket, "Slow down. You can't help him if we're both a smear on the road."

I shot Quil an apologetic look before I eased up on the gas, "Right. Right."

When we had gotten to La Push I was an anxious ball of nerves. We lugged Jacob out of the back of the Rabbit. Quil helped him get into the house the rest of the way while I disposed of his vomit. I pulled on a disgusted face and sighed as I chucked his vomit filled bucket into their trash bin.

Uncle Billy rolled out and caught sight of me, "Chippewa?"

I raised my brow, "Yes, uncle Billy?"

Before he could say anything Quil walked out as he rubbed his hand against his worn jeans, "That was the worst projectile vomiting that I have ever seen."

I made a face and dry heaved, "Don't tell me that." I glanced beside him and found that my godfather had a contemplative face on.

I titled my head, "Uncle Billy?"

A strained smile tugged on his lips, "Nothing. Nothing at all Chippewa. Quil, you've been trying to get your hands on my spare car haven't you? I heard your mom say you were saving up doing odd jobs here and there around the reservation."

My eyebrows rose at that revelation and I snickered, "Really?"

Quil flushed and threw me dirty look before nodding, "Yes, Chief."

A sad resolved look flashed onto my godfather's face, "Take my goddaughter home with the car and it's yours."

Quil recoiled before taking my godfather into a tight hug, "Deal."

A deep frown furrowed my forehead as Quil went off to where he knew aunt Sarah's minivan was, "I thought you didn't ever want to let go of aunt Sarah's minivan..."

He shot me a tired look, "You know I love you, right?"

I nodded, "I know. I love you too."

A strange look flashed in his eyes, "Then go home to Charlie, Chippewa. For my sake. Hurry."

I slowly nodded and gave him a hug before I ran towards Quil had headed. It was weird and I knew something probably bad and paranormal was happening. It couldn't have anything to do with the Cullens though...could it?

Quil happily whistled as he drove up beside me, "Hop in, Princess."

I rolled my eyes and tucked away my suspicions into the back of my mind, "Sure thing, Prince Charming."

He laughed, "I can't believe the Chief actually let me have her. Isn't she a beaut?"

I nodded quietly and inhaled my godmother's fragrant perfume. The minivan still smelled like her. The conversation with Quil was pleasant, but I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in my late godmother's car. If my godmother had taken the minivan instead of going with her girlfriend...she would've still been here. I slung away my dark thoughts and pulled on a hollow smile. This outing didn't turn out like I had hoped.

When I got home I found that my dad had made us curry and rice. I inhaled the comforting scent and wandered into the kitchen.

"Movie over already?" my dad asked in surprise when I came in. He was stirring a hot pot of curry and I noticed that he had recently purchased a rice cooker. I inwardly laughed at that. He was too impatient to wait for rice to be made the regular way.

"Jacob got sick," I explained as I set out the dishes onto the table.

My dad paused, "Is he okay?" I wasn't exactly too sure since this was the first time I had ever seen him sick in my whole life...

I shrugged and pulled on a wooden smile, "Some kind of stomach flu."

He nodded, although worry still shaded his face, "Alright...I guess he can get sick too. Are you okay?"

"I feel fine now," I said doubtfully. Maybe it was a super flu. I inwardly groaned. I bet that stupid flu shot wouldn't even help me if it was a super flu.

My dad clicked off the stove top and hummed, "Well. Just in case, you should go to bed early, sweetheart."

I nodded and smiled at that thought. A little bit of rest sounded nice. The thought of nightmares wasn't very comforting though. I quickly went through my nightly routine and jotted down the days happenings. In a couple more weeks my mom would be available and I could finally text/call her again. I eyed the T3s on my nightstand and decided against them. I couldn't rely on them for a good nights sleep.

That night I had a nightmare about my little godbrother getting swallowed up by a wolf. It was an unpleasant wake up call from a very restless night. I woke up really early, and my stomach felt like it wanted out of my body. I glanced at my cellphone and it said four thirty in the morning. Before I could think of anything else, I sprinted to the bathroom. My dad found me there a half hour later, lying on the floor, my cheek pressed against the cold edge of the bathtub. I shivered now and again while my phone limply lay in my hands. Between upchucking the entire contents of my stomach, I weakly browsed Imgur.

He looked at me for a long moment before he crouched down. He palmed my sweaty forehead and hummed, "Stomach flu." My dad gently smoothed my hair down.

"I'm dying," I moaned. I swear I was feeling just fine yesterday. This was all Jacob's fault.

He chuckled and pecked my cheek, "Do you want anything?"

I lolled my head to the side and pouted, "Could you help me back to bed?"

He nodded and lifted me up like a child. My dad hadn't had to do that in a while and I could tell when he let out a long huff. While we walked back to my room he chuckled under his breath, "You've gotten heavier, sweetheart."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "No way." I let out a hoarse cough and rubbed the heel of my hand against my aching head. My dad deposited me back into my bed and snugly tucked me in. He stepped out for a moment before coming back with a big tray.

I rose an eyebrow at him and tucked my phone beside me. I weakly asked him, "What's up with all this, dad?"

My dad put a green plastic bucket beside me after flipping open the tray's plastic legs, "They're for your flu. Puke in the green bucket. Drink the Gatorade and eat the chicken soup when you can. If you want to stomach some solid food, here are some crackers. Take some of this Tylenol and Advil like it says on the bottle and I'll see when I get home."

I frowned up at him, "You have work? On a Sunday?"

He nodded and sighed, "The girl that we found is finally talking. None of us can really afford our regular days off."

I sighed and nodded, "Okay."

I spent the rest of the day sleeping for a few hours between heaving into my newly appointed puke bucket. The only real company I had was Netflix, and honestly, I was happy with that since I felt like utter shit. The last thing I recalled before falling into a hazy sleep was how Barney, from How I Met Your Mother, just became a dad.

I heard the front door loudly close, which jostled me awake. Was my dad home? What time was it? I groggily looked at my phone. I gingerly tapped my phone awake and found that it was already ten thirty pm. I let out a hoarse laugh. I had wasted the entire day being sick. Damn. I hadn't done that in a while.

My dad popped into my room and I couldn't help, but smile at him. I had such a good dad. He gingerly walked over and sat down at the foot of my bed. I could see that he was searching my face for something, but I didn't really know what.

He scooted closer and felt my forehead, "Fever go down?" I tilted my head and wiggled trying to feel if I was still too warm and too sore to do much.

"Sort of," I said after a little while.

My dad nodded and looked at the pills he had left on my tray, "Did you already take your Tylenol?"

I wobbled my head in a silent affirmative before letting out a yawn.

A soft smile tugged on his lips as he smoothed the front of my hair down, "Do you want anything?"

I slowly shook my head, "No, thanks. I'm good with what you got me."

"Alright, if you need anything just call down to me, okay?" he quietly murmured, and then he went out of my room to do his thing. I sat up and slowly drank my cold chicken noodle soup. Even cold, my dad's soup still tasted pretty scrumptious.

I fell asleep soon after eating my soup. My nightmares were surprisingly absent that night and when I woke up little streams of light escaped my curtains. I turned my head and sighed. I was going to have to miss school today since I still felt like a drowned cat. I chugged down a water on my side table. My dad had probably brought one over during sometime last nice since it wasn't that cold any more. I got up slowly out of bed, and tried my best to not trigger my nausea again. I was weak, and my mouth tasted horrible, but my stomach felt fine. I looked at my cellphone and frowned. It was already noon.

I didn't push it and ate nothing, but saltine crackers and left over soup that I had found in the fridge. My dad had left me a bunch of sticky notes all of them saying that he hoped that I would feel better later. As soon as I was sure that I wasn't going to have to spend the day on the bathroom floor again, I called Jacob. I idly wondered if he recovered from his bout of sickness too. I hoped so...

I tapped his number into my phone and waited for the dial tone. I didn't have to wait long for him to answer.

"Hello?" Jacob's voice was broken and cracking when he spoke.

"Oh, Jacob. You sound horrible," I murmured morosely. I knew it was rude to say, but he sounded like he had swallowed mating frogs.

"I feel horrible," he whispered letting out a croaking laugh.

I thoughtfully hummed, "I'm so sorry I made you hang out with me. That may have just exacerbated things and made it worse."

"No. No, I'm glad I went. I missed hanging out with you, " he hoarsely mombled. He cleared his throat slightly before stating, "Don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

I sighed and shook my head, "I hope you feel better soon. I woke up this morning, and I felt better."

"You were sick?" he asked sounding tired and surprised.

I nodded and yawned, "Yeah. I was vomiting and just feeling like utter shit all of yesterday. I'm fine now."

"That's good, but I don't think I have the same thing you did," he said weakly.

"Don't you have the stomach flu?" I asked, confused. A deep frown furrowed my forehead as I rolled out my shoulders.

I heard him cough, "No. This is something else."

My lips pulled downward, "What's wrong with you?" Was it the measles? Was it Ebola? Panicked thoughts raced through my head. Did uncle Billy ever get their medical insurance updated? Fuck.

He let out a humorless laugh, "Everything hurts. Like seriously." The pain in his voice was clear through the phone.

I bit my inner cheek, "What can I do, Jacob? Is there anything I can do or bring you? Do you need me to get you to the hospital?"

"Nothing. I'll be fine. Don't come here," he hoarsely stated.

"Are you really contagious?" I worriedly asked. What the hell was ailing him? I hoped uncle Billy would take Jacob to the hospital if it got worse.

"No. I don't think so. Listen. I think my dad wants to talk about something. I'll call you later. I've got to go."

I nodded. He'd probably bounce back from this. I huffed out a slight breath, "Alright. Get better soon okay. Make sure to call me. Don't forget or flake."

He let out a croaking laugh, "Sure. Sure. I'll call you tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes, "Love you little brother."

He snorted, "I love you too annoying sister." The line died and I sighed again. Hopefully whatever he had would blow over soon. It didn't feel right that he was sick.


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:**

 **Debbie Hicks** : Props to you. You got the title of this chapter right. None of the content though. None. I'm not sure if I've painted it out clearly enough in the past chapters, but Higginbothams, like Elizabeth and her mother, _aren't_ vampires. They can't **ever** be vampires. **Period**. That's all.

Any vampires turned back into humans **aren't** hybrids. They're completely mortal and **can't** turn back into vampires. None of that stuff that you wrote about is going to happen in this story. If that's what you were looking for, you're _not_ going to find it here.

She's not a vampire hunter even though Jacob had made that joke about Buffy a few chapters back. If some other monstrous thing was chasing her then she'd probably shoot that too.

 **Len Stormcrow** : Thank you very much for your supportive review. You are great. I hope you enjoy this chapter. c:

 **27\. Changes**

When I got back to school, I found that a lot of kids were sick with the flu. I caught up on my missed assignments and with my friends. I was glad that Conner was still away when I did get back. I didn't want to deal with any odd admirers. I thought I was done with that earlier this year.

The Cullens and Hales steadily grew ever popular, well the ones that turned human anyways. Rosalie and Emmett seemed to be glowing, but I contributed that to being able to actually pump blood through their bodies. Edward was cosying up to Bree at our table and all seemed really well.

When I checked my voicemail when I got home I found that Jacob didn't call. This sent a bunch of worried paranoid fears afloat in my head, but I managed to shove them aside. I was even tempted to call Dr. Cullen and talk to him about it before I recalled that he and Esme were on a 'trip out of town'. It was more like them going through the apparently painful transformation of becoming human again. I idly wondered if Esme would turn first since between the two of them she had more injuries when she was near death before her vampire bite.

I tidied up the kitchen, noted what my suspicions were, and started frying up some fries and spicy chicken after I finished up my homework. When my dad came back home from work I noted that he seemed to tired to talk. I supposed this whole people disappearing case was wearing down on him. We ate with relative silence and I wondered where all my good luck had gone.

Before bed I called my uncle Billy to ask about Jacob's illness. He told me that Jacob was still in bed and the doctor had said he was fine. For some reason I couldn't nail down I didn't really believe him. It was in the way his voice wavered when he said my godbrother was fine...something seemed fishy. I wondered if it was because I wasn't directly blood related to their tribe. I harrumphed to myself with that thought and fell into another restless sleep.

Throughout the week that flew by I called again several times, but no one ever answered after my first attempt at calling. When Quil canceled on me on Friday, I knew that something was decidedly up. Quil _never_ canceled on me. That was when I decided to go down to La Push, invitation be damned, on Saturday. I had also fervently decided that I would rant about all of this to my mom once she got back Monday. That was for certain.

When I dropped by their little red house, I found that it was empty. I tried Quil's place, but his mom said that he hadn't been feeling too well and that he might be contagious. This frightened me. Why were my friends and loved ones getting sick all of the sudden? They never did that. What was going on?

After I had gotten back from my waste of a trip I called Harry Clearwater. I didn't know him well enough to call him an uncle, but I knew that he was a family friend. Well family enough to actually give me his phone number. I didn't get much from the conversation besides finding out that Harry had been in the hospital. He really needed to watch his cholesterol, and although he joked about it...I doubted my dad would be happy when he found out.

I inwardly frowned and decided to just bluntly ask, "Have you heard from Jacob or my uncle Billy? I tried calling them a couple times, but no one would answer. I can't reach Quil either."

I heard noises in the background before Harry hummed quietly, "There's been some trouble with the phone lines down here, so that might be why. Your uncle Billy took Jake to the doctor down here and from what he told me, it looks like he has mono."

I clucked my tongue on the roof of my mouth and nodded, "Can he have visitors?"

"No. I tried to figure out if Jake was okay too, but Billy said that Jake's too tired for any visitors right now..." he said glumly.

Damn. Even Harry couldn't visit. I sighed and blew the strand of hair that got into my face, "Thanks Harry. Take care of that ticker of yours okay? I know a lot of people, including me, would be really upset if you didn't."

He let out a barking laugh, "Don't you worry, child. Sue's helping keep my ticker nice and healthy. I swear that woman keeps trying to sneak in rabbit food into my meals."

I giggled, and shook my head, "She has a point."

"Well. Say hi to your dad for me, okay? I'd do it myself, but I have an errand to run with Leah further into La Push today," he sighed and I could swear I heard someone complain about said errand in the background.

I nodded, "Sure. I'll tell him. Bye, Harry."

"Bye little one." And with that, the line went dead. I bit my lower lip and idly thought about the reason for Jacob being so ill that he couldn't see anyone. It didn't make much sense in my head so I Googled it on my phone. I found WebMD and typed in "mononucleosis" into their search box.

All I knew about mono was that you were supposed to get it from sharing saliva with people; kissing or otherwise. I read through the symptoms quickly. Well he definitely had a scorching fever. When I talked to him last, he did sound like a sore throat and horribly tired. Besides that, he did say everything hurt. I shrugged and deemed my godbrother gross enough to catch mono. It was probably Ashley. She tended to be a kissing fiend in our group of friends.

I was being silly, probably. I was just being overly worried again, but who could honestly blame me? I tended to be a worrier by nature. I skimmed through the rest of the article, looking for more information just in case I might've missed something. I stopped when I got to the part about how mono could last more than a month.

A month? My mouth fell open. Damn. That was going to be a long time not seeing or talking to my little brother. Because blood related or not, that's what I considered him as. I wondered if my godfather was willing to not let me see either of them for that long. Sure there those many months before summer vacation, before I lived with my dad, when I couldn't physically see them. I still had Skype, texting, and phone calls. Neither of them answered any of my various ways to communicate with them.

I decided to leave my uncle Billy and Jacob alone for a week since Jacob would probably get over his illness pretty fast. I mean, his immune system was like a superhero compared to mine so I just waited. The days flew by and I didn't have a lot of incidents. Well not including me having to have a very serious blunt conversation about not being interested in Conner that way. It turned out he was just trying to make Quil jealous. What shocked me more was that Conner was gay. I was totally fine with him being gay, but I was still a little weirded out that I hadn't noticed. My mom finally came back and she had agreed that something seemed to be afoot after I ranted to her. I then got a long lecture about having my weapons and necklace on me at all times. I didn't bother to tell her that neither my necklace or bracelet had heated up this entire time since my incident with James and Victoria. I still obliged her request since it made her happy enough.

On Friday I found out that Quil was still recovering from a bad bout of the flu. He hadn't heard from Jacob during his whole infirm state. I frowned and took a trip down there after school laden with chicken soup, crackers, bananas, and honey oatmeal cookies. His mom appreciated the help.

I looked over his pale face, "You doing okay, Mr. Hotshot?"

He let out a tired laugh and weakly winked at me, "Better now that you're here."

I chuckled and stayed with him for awhile until he fell asleep. It was nice seeing that at least I had Quil. I debated with trying to see my godbrother and godfather and thought better of it when I found that all the lights were out when I drove by. I could just call tomorrow morning.

After breakfast I dialed Jacob's home number and then waited a little while before someone answered.

I heard my uncle Billy's voice call out on the second ring, "Hello?"

I jubilantly smiled, "Oh, hey, the phone is working again! Hi, uncle Billy. I was just calling to see how Jacob is doing. Is he up for visitors yet?"

"I'm sorry, Chippewa," my godfather said sadly. He paused and I heard some muttering in the background before he added, "He's not in."

"Oh. So he's feeling better then?" I was more than hopeful that he'd be better by now if he was well enough to go out.

"Yeah," uncle Billy hesitated before he quietly added, "Turns out it wasn't mono after all. Just some _other virus_." I wondered why he said it in that way. Was I missing something here?

"Oh. Okay? So...where is he?" I idly wondered what my newly healed godbrother had decided to get into now. Would he be reckless after getting sick for the first time in ages? In ever really. I would totally go and stock up on so much meds if that happened to me.

"He's giving some friends a ride up to Port Angeles - I think they were going to catch a double feature or something. He's gone for the whole day," he said quietly. There was a certain hesitance to how he said all of it, and I was marginally confused for a little while.

I frowned and shrugged, "Well, that's a relief. I've been so worried. I'm glad he felt good enough to get out." Jacob was better, and he was out with friends. That sounded like something he would do.

"Well, I'll tell him that you called, okay?" uncle Billy simply stated.

"Thanks, uncle Billy," I smiled to myself.

I heard him pause almost as if he wanted to add something. He cleared his throat, "Bye, Chippewa. Be safe."

I nodded to myself, "Will do, Chief. Bye." I hung up my phone and paused. That was kind of weird. I wondered what he wanted to say. I shrugged it off as I wondered into the kitchen. I sat down at the table and let my head gently thump onto the table top.

"Something wrong?" my dad asked as he stirred something that smelled delicious in the pot on the stove.

I lolled my head to the side and stared up at my dad, "Uncle Billy said that Jacob's feeling better. It wasn't mono, so that's good."

My dad nodded and added a bit of basil to his simmering pot, "Alright. Is he coming here, or are you going there?"

"Neither," I pouted and frowned at my dad, "He's hanging out with some other friends."

My dad plopped in some cheese into his concoction before he turned off the stove. He sighed and turned around while he gave me a crooked smile, "You have other friends too. Don't you, sweetheart?"

"They're all busy today and Quil's still sick, mom's off on a job interview, and I know you're just making me food before you go fishing with Harry again, " I murmured as I lolled my face back onto the table. I wanted some adventure, fun, and or companionship damn it.

My dad sighed and gently patted my head, "Say, did you want me to stay with you since Jake's out?"

"That's okay, dad," I mombled before moving to look at him. I pulled on a smile, "The fish bite better when the weather's nice. Besides, you and Harry planned this a while a go, and it wouldn't be right if you flaked."

He grinned at me before he pecked my cheek, "My smart girl. I really wouldn't mind if you really wanted company though."

I shook my head and sighed, "It's alright, dad. I'll just go hiking or something. Jacob showed us this pretty cool meadow a couple weeks back." I would make sure to take my weapons, and a backpack when I went up there. It would be just my luck to run into a bear on my own.

"That's a good idea. You've been spending so much time indoors that a little fresh air, wouldn't kill you," he happily hummed and gathered up his small cooler.

He started to walk out of the kitchen before he paused, "I want you to be careful on your hike though. Make sure you have some bear spray on you, just in case."

I tilted my head and frowned, "More bear trouble?" I thought that had died down somewhat. The paper hadn't really said anything about that lately.

My dad nodded while he sighed, "We've got another missing camper. The rangers found his camp early this morning, but no sign of him. There were some really big animal prints...of course those could have come later, smelling the food. Anyway, they're setting traps for it now."

"Oh," I murmured while I blinked repeatedly. I was definitely going to load up my gun and bring my other weapons with me on this hike. I hoped blessed weapons would save me just in case a bear tried to eat me on my latest adventure.

My dad took quick steps and smothered me in a tight hug, "I love you."

I smiled against his shoulder, "I love you too, dad. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

I felt him nod. He shot me a short smile before hurrying out of the house. I sighed and got ready to go onto my first foray into the woods on my own. After a quick shower, I pulled on some sturdy clothes and packed some of my dad's spaghetti into a fat thermos. I stowed away my food, water, a compass and a map into my backpack after I strapped on my weapons. I slid my phone into my pocket and slipped out of the house after I had locked all the doors.

Once I got into my truck I started to drive down the beaten path that led up to where Jacob had led us. I had the windows rolled down and I drove as fast as was healthy for my truck, trying to enjoy the wind against my face. It was cloudy, but it didn't seem like it would rain today. The weather people did say it would rain later this week though.

I parked in the spot we had taken previously, and pouted. This would've been more fun with Jacob and Quil. I had to spend a good fifteen minutes studying the little needle on the compass face and the markings on my map. I had taken a good look the last time we were here and I figured I could recall where we went well enough. When I was reasonably certain that I was following the right line of the web, I set off into the woods.

The forest was full of life today, all the little creatures singing, chirping, and making so much noise around me. It all looked so much colder with the sun, and eerily reminded me of my most recent nightmare. I shivered and shook off those messed up thoughts.

My sense of unease grew stronger the deeper I got into the trees. It didn't help that my necklace and bracelet started to burn. I concentrated on regulating my breathing, but I swear it felt like someone or something was watching me. I kept my arms tight around my torso and tried to banish the darkness from my thoughts. I almost turned around a couple times, but I hated to waste the effort I'd already expended. Maybe my necklace and bracelet were just on the fritz. The rhythm of my footsteps started to numb my paranoia as I trudged on. My breathing evened out eventually, and I was glad I hadn't quit. I was getting better at this bushwhacking thing; I could tell I was faster. It could've also been because I refused to take any real breaks. When I was thirsty I just drank and walked. I had a bad feeling that something horrible would've happened if had taken a food break on the path to the meadow.

With an abruptness that disoriented me, I stepped through a low arch made by two vine maples and pushed past chest high ferns into the meadow that Jacob had found. It was the same place, of that I was instantly sure. I'd never seen another clearing so symmetrical. It was as perfectly rectangular as if someone had intentionally created it, tearing out the trees but leaving no evidence of that violence in the waving grass. To the east, I could hear the stream bubbling quietly. I supposed that I had come in from a different entrance, but I didn't mind. This half of the meadow was just as beautiful as the other side. The place wasn't nearly so stunning without the sunlight, but it was still very beautiful and serene. It was the wrong season for wildflowers; the ground was thick with tall grass that swayed in the light breeze like ripples across a lake. I idly wondered if something magical kept it so pretty. I really hoped I wouldn't encounter any evil faeries or something. That would just be my luck.

I wandered over to a nearby log at the edge of the clearing and sank down with a sigh of relief. I flinched at the increased heat that my necklace and bracelet seemed radiate. What was up with that? This place didn't seem dangerous. I unpacked my fat thermos and greedily ate my food. I was pooped. While I happily ate and drank my fill of water, I took in the scenery. It sure was a pretty place. I wondered if someone owned it. Some had to for it to be so neat looking, even with the wild grass.

I finished off my food and packed everything away. I happily sighed. This was pretty good. I kind of wanted to play video games at this point, but I think that was just because I wasn't used to being outside so much. I stretched out and cracked my back with a happy little sigh. I would definitely have to take a couple scenery pictures of this place for my wallpaper at home. I took out my phone and aimed at a pretty nice spot up north of the meadow. At precisely that moment, a figure stepped out from the trees some thirty paces away.

I raised my brow and frowned. I was far from any trail here, and I didn't expect company since Quil was still recovering and Jacob was out with his other friends. Did someone else know about this place too? As my eyes focused on the motionless figure I took in its details. It stood utterly still, had pallid skin, and fuck...vampire. His wendigo smile tipped him off. A rush of dread and fear rocked through me. I slipped my phone into my pocket and felt for my gun. I kept my hand on it and unblinkingly stared at the unmoving figure. I really should've known that something was wrong when my necklace and bracelet heated up. At this point I was certain they were vampire detectors or something. Maybe danger detectors? I'd have to ponder that later, if I didn't die today.

"Laurent," I cursed under my breath. I would recognize that guy from anywhere. Simply because the dude wanted to kill and eat me the last time we had seen each other. A person that wants to do that is _very_ hard to forget. Didn't he mention going off to Alaska or something? I honestly doubted that he turned any sort of new leaf though. His totally black eyes, not a centimeter of white was visible, were a big tip off on that.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, a bewildered expression flashed onto his face. I frowned. He recalled my name. That didn't bode well for me. I unsheathed my gun and held it against the side of my leg. My eyes felt dry, but I refused to blink just in case he decided to strike.

"Yes," I muttered dryly. I bent my knees and contemplated if I could get a good enough shot to really incapacitate or kill him. A grim look pulled onto my face.

He grinned, "I didn't expect to see you here." He slowly strolled toward me, his expression bemused.

"I thought you'd gone to Alaska," I stated dully while I tried to get a good figure on how far I could possibly shoot. I should've brought some holy water with me.

He stopped about ten paces away, cocking his head to the side. His face was just as scary as James's face had been. The wendigo grin, totally black eyes, and predator like movements. I wasn't going to get tossed like a rag doll this time. Not _this_ fucking **time**.

"You're right," he agreed, an amused chuckle escaped his lips. He shrugged, "I did go to Alaska. Still, I didn't expect...well you. When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they'd moved on."

"They did move on," I narrowed my eyes at him and clicked off the safety of my gun. I really hoped all the shooting and gun handling practice with Quil would pay off at this point.

"Hmm," he murmured. He tilted his head and looked at me like a demented bird, "I'm surprised they left you behind. Weren't you sort of a pet of theirs?" I didn't miss the mocking tone in his voice.

I smiled wryly, "More like a family friend." This was mostly true since I was related to Edward, kind of. Besides that, they had dubbed me their friend for life when the whole human transformation thing worked. Esme was still healing from her transformation from what I recalled.

"Hmm," he nodded and shot me a curious look. "Do they visit often?" he asked casually, as he took one step forward. I was tempted to pull my gun up, but I didn't want him to come rushing at me. I really hoped he didn't know about blessed weapons. Being underestimated was the key here.

"I see them every day," I stated simply. That was also true for the most part. I did see some of them every day because of school. That and I bumped into Esme at the grocery store all the time before she underwent her transformation. Dr. Carlisle was up next after she was fully recovered.

"Hmm," he said again. His eyes were sharp when he glanced at my face, "The house smelled like it had been vacant for a while..." Laurent took a casual step to the side, and gazed around at the meadow. I didn't miss that the additional step that brought him closer to me. I slipped my backpack off and let it rest onto the ground. I readied my gun. I had to make sure that I could get a good enough shot if he decided to make any sudden movements.

"Why are you here?" my voice lowered into a rough whisper.

The question made him pause. He sighed and rolled onto the balls of his feet, "I came here at Victoria's bequest."

My blood chilled at that sentence. She _wasn't_ dead. My heartbeat picked up and thudded in my ears. Fuck. I was _fucked_. I was definitely going to get a lot more holy water and probably max out my emergency credit card on Duckluck.

I shot him a dark look, and breathlessly asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes, I actually came here as a favor to her," he made a face and sighed as he looked up at the sky, "She won't be happy about this."

"About what?" I muttered as I cocked my gun. Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep steady. I took aim with my gun and paused.

He looked back at me and smiled toothily. I internally shivered. I hated teeth like that. It made pains ghost through the arm that James had bit a while ago.

"About me killing you," he answered in a low purr. His gazed sharpened and I decided that it was now or never. I cocked my gun and tried to maintain a steady breath. It wouldn't do to suddenly hyperventilate because of this messed up shit.

"She wanted to save that part for herself," he went on blithely as he shot me an amused look. He didn't seem to take me pointing a gun at him as anything to be worried about. He let out a dark laugh, "She's sort of...put out with you, Elizabeth."

"I see..." I aimed, and pulled the trigger. A shot rang out as a bullet went right though his shoulder. It didn't seem like something that bothered the bloodsucker though.

He shook his head and chuckled, "Well, well, well...I see that Victoria was right. You are unpredictable. Bullets won't hurt me though." Laurent's weight shifted slightly, and he stumbled back when I shot him in the chest.

Black goo pooled onto his clothes and he growled, " _ **Bitch**_. This didn't hurt, but look at what you've done to my clothes. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission. I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you do smell...simply mouthwatering."

Laurent looked at me with approval as he took another step forward. I shot his leg which made him stumble a bit. I really needed to get better aim. That was supposed to go through his fucking head.

Laurent's smile widened. He gazed around the small opening in the trees, "The scent will wash away with the next rain. No one will find your body - you'll simply go missing, like so many, many other humans. Look at it this way, Elizabeth. You're very lucky I was the one to find you."

"Am I?" I hissed. My mouth felt unbearably dry. I only had a couple of rounds left and I didn't want to waste it by missing, _again_.

"Yes," he assured me as he glared down at his bleeding body parts. Was venom that black? It looked like molasses was slowly seeping out of him. He threw me a dark look, "I'll be very quick even though you don't deserve it for making such a mess of me. Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. If you knew what she had planned for you, Elizabeth..."

He sniffed at the breeze and whipped his head abruptly to the left. "I don't believe it," he stated lowly.

I was afraid that I wouldn't get another chance of him being so still. I aimed and shot him again, getting his neck. Fuck. I missed again. Son of a bitch. Laurent retreated back as he held his neck, his eyes bored into the forest.

I raised my brow and quickly glanced at where he was looking. Then I saw it; a huge black shape eased out of the trees, quiet as a shadow, and stalked deliberately toward the vampire. It was enormous - as tall as a horse, but thicker, much more muscular. The long muzzle grimaced, revealing a line of dagger-like incisors. A grisly snarl rolled out from between its teeth, rumbling across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder.

Just my fucking luck. A God damn bear. Only, it didn't really seem like a bear at all. Still, this gigantic black monster had to be the creature causing all the alarm. From a distance, anyone would assume it was a bear. What else could be so vast, so powerfully built? I hoped he would think Laurent was better prey than me. I don't think I had enough bullets to fight them both off.

It padded silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where I stood. I wanted to collapse onto my knees at all of this stress. This was not the relaxing afternoon I had wanted. So much for the great outdoors being _good_ for me.

I stared at the monstrous creature. My mind whirred as I tried to put a name to it. There was a distinctly canine cast to the shape of it, the way it moved. I could only think of one possibility, yet I'd never imagined that a wolf could get so big. It only ever got that big in my nightmares.

Another growl rumbled in its throat, and I shuddered inwardly. I was too stubborn and scared to even back away at this point. Death by vampire, or death by giant wolf? Both would be horrific.

Laurent backed toward the edge of the trees, and confusion swept through me. Why was Laurent retreating? Granted, the wolf was monstrous in size, but it was just an animal. What reason would a vampire have for fearing an animal? His eyes were wide with horror, which looked so strange with his completely black eyes.

Suddenly the mammoth wolf wasn't alone. Flanking it on either side were another two gigantic beasts. They all prowled silently into the meadow. One was a deep gray, the other brown, neither one quite as tall as the first. The gray wolf came through the trees only a few feet from me, its eyes locked on Laurent. Two more wolves followed after them. They lined up in a V like position. Did an entire pack of giant mutant wolves live here? I flinched inwardly, waiting for the wolves to turn on me, the much weaker of the available prey. Laurent continued on his cautious retreat.

The wolf closest to me, the reddish brown one, turned its head slightly towards me. I swear it looked like the wolf that my godbrother had turned into when I was still having nightmares of Edward. Its eyes were a dark chocolate brown. It gazed at me for a fraction of a second, the deep eyes seeming too intelligent for a wild animal. As it stared at me, I suddenly thought of Jacob and Quil. At least I'd come here alone. At least they weren't going to die here too. I wouldn't have either of their deaths on my hands.

Another low growl from the first wolf caused the russet wolf to whip his head around, back toward Laurent. The bloodsucker was staring at the pack of mutant wolves with unconcealed shock and fear. I was stunned when, without warning, he spun and disappeared into the trees.

Motherfucker ran away. The wolves were after him in a second, sprinting across the open grass with a powerful bounds, snarling and snapping so loudly that I instinctively crouched. The sound faded with surprising swiftness once they disappeared into the woods.

My knees buckled under me, and I plopped down onto my butt. My gun fell from my hands and sobs built up in my throat. Why was thing happening to me? I knew that I needed to leave, and leave now. I pulled myself up and scrubbed away the tears that had escaped my eyes. I picked up my gun and slipped it back into my holster before I slung on my backpack.

My mind whirred and I couldn't understand what I'd just witnessed. A vampire should not have run from overgrown dogs like that. What good would their teeth be against his granite skin? Why would they pass up something warmblooded and weak like me to chase after Laurent? I couldn't make it add up. I shook my head and tried to dislodge those thoughts. It was no use in worrying about something I had no control over.

A cold breeze whipped through the meadow and caused the grass to sway like something was moving through it. I shuddered and quickly started going back through the path that I had taken to get here. It took me three times as long to escape the trees as it had to get to the stupid meadow. By the time I collected myself enough to remember the compass, I was already deep in an unfamiliar and menacing part of the forest. My hands shook violently while I tried to read my compass. I was supposed to be heading northwest, right? After what seemed like forever, there was a break in the trees ahead. I came out onto the empty road a mile or so south of where I'd left mu truck. I jogged up the lane until I found it. By the time I pulled myself into the cab, I crumpled into my seat. I was exhausted. I fiercely shoved down both stiff locks before I dug my keys out of my pocket. The roar of the engine was comforting and sane.

I was calmer, but still a mess when I got home. My dad's cruiser was already in the driveway. I hadn't realized how late it was. The sky was already dusky. I hurried in and I was welcomed home with a delectable smell of steak and spaghetti. I was so glad to be home. I let my back pack thump onto the ground as I hastily turned the locks on the doors.

I walked into the kitchen and found my dad had already set the table. He had his back turned to me as he chopped up the steak.

"Eliza?" my dad asked before he turned. I took my normal seat and let out a deep breath of relief. I'd be safe here...right?

"Yeah, it's me," I murmured as I let my forehead flop onto my empty plate. The plate was cool against my skin and I let out a happy sigh. My stomach grumbled. I hadn't thought I'd be this hungry when I got home.

"How was your hike?" he asked as he placed the sliced steak onto the table next to the steaming bowl of spaghetti.

I hesitated before I pulled myself up into a proper sitting position. I scooped some spaghetti onto my plate and took some steak. Could I tell him what really happened? He'd never believe the entire truth though. He did the same and cleared his throat, "Elizabeth?"

I pulled on a strained smile, "I'm sorry, dad. I spaced out for a second."

He shook his head and seemed to really look at me for the first time since I had gotten back. I remembered that I had spent some time on the forest floor today; I must've looked like a mess.

"So what happened?" my dad asked as he put some steak and spaghetti into his mouth. I plopped a chunk of steak into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a couple moments.

I decided that the truth, or part of it anyway, was the best option. I was too shaken to pretend that I'd spent an uneventful day with the flora and fauna. I gulped and stared out into space replaying the events of my day.

"I saw the 'bear'," I stated, my voice was high and shaky even as I stuffed food into my face. After I swallowed my food, a hysterical little laugh escaped my throat, "It's not a bear, though - it's some kind of wolf. There were five of them. A big black one, a gray one, a reddish-brown one..."

Before I could continue on, my dad took hold of my shaking hand, making me pause. His eyes were round with horror. I felt his hand tighten around my own, "Are you okay?"

My head bobbed in a weak nod, "I'm okay." I pulled on a weak smile and noted that my dad's features melted into his professional face. I felt his hand squeeze mine one more time before he slipped his phone out of his pocket.

He shot me a gentle smile, "Tell me what happened."

I gulped and let out a tired sigh, "They didn't pay any attention to me, and after they were gone I ran away as fast as I could."

For a long moment, he didn't say anything as he tapped something on his phone. "Wolves," he murmured as he shook his head.

I tilted my head and stared at my dad. He glanced up at me and sighed, "The rangers said the tracks were wrong for a bear, but wolves just don't get that big..."

I shook my head shortly, "These were huge." I spread out my arms and simply declared, "More than the width of my freaking arms, dad. They were like mutant wolves."

A deep frown furrowed his brow and worry seemed to reflect from his eyes, "How many did you say you saw?"

I let my arms fall limply at my sides and muttered, "Five."

He shook his head again and got up. He strode around the kitchen table and brought me into a tight hug. I squirmed a little and returned his hug. I heard him lowly murmur in a disquieted tone, "No more hiking."

"No problem," I promised fervently while I let my head rest on his stomach. I felt him pat my shoulder before he released me. He started pacing around the kitchen while he, probably, called the station. I heard him report what I'd seen as I shoveled in food into my mouth. It didn't make me feel that much better, but it was good steak and spaghetti.

When my dad asked where exactly I'd seen the wolves, I told him that I'd been on the trail that led to the north. I didn't want anyone wandering near where Laurent might be searching for me. The thought of someone dying because of me made me feel sick to my stomach, which totally squelched whatever appetite I had left.

Once my dad was done on the phone, he sat back down and we started eating again. After a brief silence my dad looked up from his plate and hummed, "Hey. Didn't you say Jacob was gone for the day?"

"That's what Billy said," I told him, as I picked at my cake bites. I wasn't really in the mood to eat after all that.

He studied my expression for a minute, "Huh."

"Why?" I curiously tilted my head and searched his face. I wondered what he was going on about.

"Well, it's just that when I went to pick up Harry, I saw Jacob out in front of the store down there with some of his friends. I waved hi, but he...well I guess, he didn't see me. I think he was arguing with his friends. He looked strange, like he was upset about something. And...different. It's like you can watch that kid growing! He gets bigger every time I see him," my dad shook his head and popped some steak into his mouth.

I frowned and stabbed my cake bite, "Uncle Billy said Jacob and his friends were going up to Port Angeles to see some movies. Maybe they were just waiting for someone to meet them."

"Maybe," my dad stated supportively. I inwardly scowled. Was Jacob really going to ditch me? What kind of godbrother would do that.

While I went through my nighttime routine, I thought about Jacob arguing with his friends. I wondered if he had confronted Embry about the situation with Sam. Maybe that was the reason he'd ditched me today. If _that_ was the reason, then I guessed it was okay as long as it meant he could sort things out with Embry.

I paused to check the locks again before I went to my room. I was pretty sure that vampires couldn't enter into a house that they weren't invited into. After my dad had gone to sleep, I had pulled out some holy water and dabbed it onto all the possible entrances into the house...and on all the doors. Don't judge me. I was freaking terrified. I also doused myself with some too.

I lay down on my bed, but I was shaking too hard to hope for sleep. I curled into a cramped ball under my quilt, and speedily texted my mom while I shopped for a bunch of stuff on Duckluck. Would it be safe to fight a vampire with a blessed flamethrower? Probably. I would also probably burn down the entire forest though...

I shook away that thought and continued tapping my message to my mom:

"SOS. Victoria is not dead and she wants vengeance. Don't visit. Stay safe. Will use all of credit card you gave me to find protection on Duckluck. I love you more than a million apple cinnamon scones."

My phone rapidly vibrated before I could continue my online shopping. I quickly scanned my mom's reply:

"Stay safe. We'll go back into one of the safe houses. I really am tempted to carry you away from that place though. I wouldn't know how to explain that to your father though. Try to stay near La Push with that bitch on your trail. Holy water is your friend, and don't invite any strange guests in. Try not to use all of the emergency credit card, sweetheart. I know you're scared, but you'll beat back that stupid bloodsucker. I know you can. I love you a million sparkly shoes."

After that I ended up buying a bunch of stuff off of Duckluck and fell into a restless sleep. In my nightmare, Victoria's inky black eyes eyes were bright with anticipation as her lips curled back showing me her fucked up wendigo teeth. Her red hair blew chaotically around her wild face as she stalked me while I ran through the abyss.

Laurent's words echoed as I ran, "If you knew what she had planned for you..."


	28. Chapter 28

The original story and original world belongs to Stephanie Meyer. Any quotes from the original Twilight belong to the aforementioned author.

Any mentions of shows, movies, or books were **not** meant as copyright infringement or as an intended crossover.

 **AN:** Thank you to those that read, followed, and favorited this story. You guys are great.

bex67: Thank you very much for your kind review!

 **28\. Shifting Tides**

Every passing day, after my initial surprise had worn off, my heart would start to race, and my palms would sweat when I woke up. I couldn't really breathe again until I'd made _certain_ that my dad had survived the night as well. I knew that my mom was safe and it seemed my friends were safe in their relative ignorance as well. I supposed that saying was true. Ignorance seemed to be bliss. The only odd thing that I found during the blurring days was that Bree seemed to be missing. She never went into the woods though, so I didn't know what the probable cause would be. Edward was pretty messed up about it.

The only signs that revealed my ever growing anxiety were how I would jump at any sudden loud sounds, and how I couldn't help looking out in the corner of my eyes. The rest felt internal. My heart was always racing. My palms were always sweaty. I had taken to sleeping with my dagger and gun underneath my pillow. The terror that was always foremost in my thoughts usually distracted me from the fact that another week had passed, and Jacob hadn't called me. When I was able to concentrate on my normal life this pissed me off. The only consolation that I got from his cold shoulder was that he would be safe in La Push. Well, as safe as any other human being any way.

During the following week, my stuff came in from Duckluck. I had received two liters of holy water, blessed ammunition, water balloons, and a rune kit. This rune kit alone cost me a lot more than I would've liked to spend with my emergency credit card. It had stated on the website that the protection runes on the diagrams were sure to keep out any paranormal and mundane creatures that wanted to do you harm. The only downside of this would be that it only really worked with buildings. I didn't want to spend more for the multipurpose one since I didn't see myself on the run in the near future.

I'd half expected Jacob to call on Monday since even if he was pissed at me, for whatever reason, it never did last too long. Instead, I got a call from my mom and Quil. I was happy to hear from the both of them. mom egged me on to go on more shooting lessons and to get off, and I quote, my "lumpy" to get fit enough to survive. She enthused about how she and Phil were getting fit during their 'vacation'. At least that's what Phil thought this spontaneous trip was, apparently. I think she was more worried about this vampire stalking me than I was sometimes...I never mentioned it to her though. She had a right to be worried. We both did. She had said that my dad knew about my shooting range escapades, which really freaked me out. My mom had reassured me that she had it handled though. She told dad about my dream to be a cop like him. It explained why he was in such a good mood lately.

Quil sounded like a frog, but he said he was feeling much better in comparison to the last time I had seen him. I had asked him about more gun lessons and he was happy enough to oblige. He told me that Embry and Jacob had disappeared on him and joined in with Sam's cult. I didn't really say anything about it since I wasn't too sure what to say. I thought I knew my godbrother better than I apparently did. I wouldn't have ever pegged him to be someone that _could_ be pulled into something like that.

I called him Tuesday, but no one answered. I was getting more worried about what that cult entailed for Jacob and Embry. I saw Quil later that day and we shot some of the targets to let off some steam. We saw them jumping off of that stupid cliff and I knew that something else sinister must be happening. Or at least something bad. Cults weren't looked down on for nothing, right?

Wednesday was a blur of faces and conversations as I tried to figure out how to keep myself and my loved ones safe. Yeah. Duckluck was a good provider of the tools, but what I needed were skills. After school I had started up the tedious task of carving rune protections on every nook and cranny on my house. I even managed to buy some, apparently, _blessed_ salt from a Wiccan kid from school. I didn't know the validity of what she had given me, but I knew it would've been rude to just ask if she was a witch. I had traced our property with that salt and painstakingly sprayed holy water on both sides of it too. If my dad asked, I wouldn't know what to say, but it was better safe than sorry.

Thursday after school I sat in my truck in front of my house - with the locks pushed down - keys in hand, for a solid hour. I knew that Laurent had to have gone back to Victoria by now, if those giant wolves hadn't eaten him. I really hoped that they did though, since I hadn't seen any hide or hair from him. Even though I had carved enough runes to make my hands bleed and all the salt lines looked weird, I still expected them to try and get to me. The worry was eating a hole in my stomach. Soon I would have matching punctures if I wasn't careful enough.

That night, my dad called Harry again to see if the Blacks were out of town. We hadn't had a family dinner with them in a while and my dad was starting to get suspicious. Harry reported that uncle Billy had attended the council meeting Wednesday night, and never mentioned anything about leaving. My dad felt put out and I had no idea how to make any of this better. I felt like tearing my hair out, or just curling into a ball and just letting the world get at me. I refused to tell my mom or anyone about this increasing grief. I could handle this. I think.

Friday afternoon after school, I drove from home to La Push to meet up with Quil for some shooting range practice. I drove down the familiar road and I couldn't help, but tighten my grip on my steering wheel. I acutely felt the gun that I had hidden away on my person along with my knife. The woods used to bring me an unspeakable amount of comfort, but now I felt paranoid as I drove through this grove of trees towards Quil's house.

It had been a week, and no vampires had come for me yet. A week was more than enough time for them to have returned, and regrouped for some kind of trap. Most likely, they would come for me at night. Well, at least that's what I thought. It was the only thought that I kept pulling on while I drove through the shadows of the trees. Even the flickering sunlight wasn't that comforting. I couldn't wait to be out in the open sunlight again. Before I was expecting it, the forest began to thin, and the first little houses of the reservation popped into view. Sunlight poured through my windows and I couldn't help, but release a sigh of relief.

Walking away, along the left side of the road, I spotted a tall boy with a baseball cap and a large duffle bag on his shoulder. It looked awfully like the Pokemon baseball cap that I had given Quil a couple birthdays ago. I was sure it had to be Quil, but he looked bigger than the last time I'd seen him. His hair seemed shorter too. I drove over to the wrong side of the road to stop next to him. He looked up when the roar of my truck approached. Quil's expression frightened me more than it surprised me. His face was bleak, brooding, his forehead creased with worry.

"Oh, hey, Eliza. You're early," he greeted me dully. He pulled on, an all together, pathetic smile.

I bit my lip and frowned, "Hi, Quil... Are you okay?"

He stared at me morosely and shrugged, "Fine. I guess."

"Still up for some shooting?" I offered.

"Not really. Could you drive me home?" he listlessly asked. I nodded and shot him a small smile. He shuffled around the back of the truck, slung his duffle bag onto the bed of the truck, and hopped into my truck. I didn't mind if we put it off. He looked like a bear chewed him out and spit him back out.

"Have you seen Jacob lately?" I quietly asked. Maybe talking about Jacob would lift his spirits. Besides, I needed some dirt on my godbrother. I wouldn't let him ditch me like this without any sort of blackmail potential.

He stared out the windshield for a second before he spoke. "From a distance," he stiffly murmured.

"A distance?" I quirked my brow and echoed. I wondered if Jacob wasn't just being a jerk and spending more time with his guy friends. Was this more serious?

"I tried to follow them earlier today - he was with Embry," his voice was low, hard to hear over the engine. I leaned closer.

A deep frown furrowed his brows, "I know they saw me, but they turned and just disappeared into the trees. I don't think they were alone. Sam and his crew might have been with them. I was stumbling around in the forest for an hour, yelling after them. I just barely found the road again when you drove up."

I straightened up and started up my truck, "Jacob's just as bad as the others now?" We drove down the right side of the road for a little while before Quil decided to quietly answer. Dread pooled in my stomach.

"Never leaves Sam's side now," he turned his head and let out a disgruntled sigh while he folded his arms across his chest.

I bit my inner cheek as we passed by familiar houses and stores, "And before that did he avoid everyone? Was he acting upset?"

His voice was low and rough when he answered me, "Not for as long as the others. Maybe one day, and then Sam caught up with him."

I stared hard at the road ahead of me and bit out, "What do you think it is? Drugs or something?" My godbrother wouldn't dare do drugs. The bad kind any ways. We lost a friend because he decided to 'try' cocaine. He wouldn't dare. I hoped.

He scrunched up his face, "I can't see Jacob or Embry getting into anything like that. They wouldn't pull what Erin did, but what do I know? They're totally different now and none of the old people are worried."

He shook his head, and the fear showed in his eyes when I glanced at him. Quil picked at his sleeve and shook his head, "Jacob didn't want to be a part of that _cult_ last month. I don't understand what could've possibly changed his mind _now_."

He stared a head and avoided my worried eyes. He quietly breathed out, "I don't want to be next."

My hands gripped on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. I couldn't promise him that he wouldn't since my godbrother was the last person I thought would be pulled into a cult. I hoped that he wouldn't be pulled in as well.

I shivered and let out a breath trying to calm my fears. I shot him a hopeful look, "Isn't your grandpa any help?"

He grimaced and rolled his eyes, "Right. Even though my grandfather's on the council with Jacob's dad, it won't help. He thinks Sam Uley is the best thing that ever happened to this place. Even better than sliced bread, as far as he's concerned."

I stared at him for a prolonged moment before focusing back onto the road. The store that hid Quil's house was already in my field of vision.

"I'll get out now," Quil said.

I abruptly stopped near the store and frowned. He shot me a weak smile and leaned over my truck's console. My eyes fluttered closed and I felt his breath on my face. Was he – was he going to kiss me? Was this actually happening? I felt his lips ghost across mine before I felt him leave my truck. I blinked open my eyes and stared after him. What did this mean?

He shut the door, shuffled to my truck bed and pulled out his stuff, "I'll see you later, okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. See you later."

I made a wide U-turn and headed back towards my godfather's house. My mind whirred away. What did all this mean? Why was Jacob sucked into a cult? He wasn't that impressionable. If anything, I was more impressionable than he was. Was Quil going to be inducted and brainwashed too? And what the fuck did that kiss mean? Did Quil still like me that way? I wanted to scream because of all these questions. I hated not knowing.

I stopped in front of Jacob's house, killed the motor and rolled down the windows. It was stuffy today with no breeze. I put my feet up on the dashboard and settled in to wait. No one was willing to answer me so now it was time to get serious.

Movement flashed in my peripheral vision so I turned. I spotted uncle Billy. He stared at me through the front window with a confused expression. I waved once and smiled a tight smile, but stayed where I was.

His eyebrows furrowed and he waved weakly at me. My godfather's smile was weak and worried. He muttered something that I couldn't quite hear before he let the curtain fall across the glass. He really didn't' need to worry though. Like I would really be willing to be hypnotized or brainwashed into going into a cult. I would make sure that I didn't just to spite Sam.

I was prepared to stay as long as it took, but I wished I had brought my USB charger. I had forgotten it at home and my phone was already at 50%. I frowned and idly clicked through Imgur. I giggled to myself when I saw a comic about a girl trying to woo a vampire. She was apparently involved in a love triangle with a werewolf too. What a weird girl.

I'd only had time to read half way through the comic when I heard a sharp tap against my door. I jumped, and looked up, expecting to see my godfather.

"What are you doing here, Eliza?" Jacob growled. His face was pulled into an ugly scowl, but that wasn't why I stared at him in blank astonishment.

My little godbrother had changed radically since the last time I'd seen him. The first thing I noticed was his hair – his long hair was all gone. It was cropped short only leaving fuzzy looking stubs of hair all over his head. I was a little happy that I had longer hair than him for once.

His chubby cheeks had disappeared and a hardened aged face took its place. His neck and his shoulders were thicker. His hands, where they gripped my truck's window frame, looked enormous with the tendons and veins more prominent under his skin. He also appeared to be even taller. How that was possible, I don't know.

His usual open and friendly smile had disappeared like his hair. The warmth in his dark eyes altered to a brooding resentment that was instantly disturbing. There was a darkness in Jacob now. It was like someone had swapped him with a clone that only resembled my sweet little godbrother. What had they done to him?!

"Jacob?" I whispered and I felt tears well up in my eyes. Did they pump him full of some sort of magic drug that did this to him?

He just stared at me, his eyes tense and angry. I heard someone grunt behind him and realized that we weren't alone. Behind him stood four others; all freakishly tall with black hair chopped short just like Jacob's. They all looked so similar, I couldn't even pick Embry out of the group. The resemblance was only intensified by the same hostility in every pair of eyes.

Every pair but Sam's. He stood in the very back, his face serene and sure. I had to swallow back the bile that rose in my throat. I scrubbed at my eyes. My temper flared and I wanted to take a swing at him. No, I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to swing my aluminum bat at his fucking head. What had he done to my little brother? What had he done to my childhood friend? Was he aiming to get all of my loved ones? Just the thought of that threat made me want to destroy him. If I could sic the psychotic vampire after me at him at this moment, I would've done that. Consequences me dammed.

The violent desire caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me. It was the most forbidden of all my wishes. I had never really wished for anyone's death and that made me pause. Did this make me a bad person? Did wanting to eliminate a danger to myself and my family make me a villain? I shook my head. No. Even if I wanted Sam to disappear in any way possible...that didn't make me evil. Did it?I scrambled to gain control of myself while the my chest ached hollowly.

"What do you want?" Jacob demanded, his expression growing more resentful as he searched my face.

"I want to talk to you," I said in a weak voice. I tried to focus, but I was still reeling against dark thoughts.

"Go ahead," he hissed through his teeth. His glare was downright vicious. I'd never seen him look at anyone like that, least of all me. It hurt with a surprising intensity - a physical pain that stabbed my heart.

"Alone!" I hissed and glared at him. I didn't usually get mad at Jacob, but this seemed like the exception. It was an odd mix of anger and sadness. I didn't know what Sam did for him to become this way, but I silently vowed to get to the bottom of this. I would have my little godbrother back if it was the last thing I did.

He looked behind him, and I knew where his eyes would go. Every one of them turned to look at Sam's reaction.

Sam nodded once, his face unperturbed. He made a brief comment in Quileute. I only knew the familiar sounds, but I still couldn't understand the language. I was regretting turning down Quil's mom's offer to teach me now. Knowing what he had said would've been helpful. He turned and walked into Jacob's house. The others, Paul, Jared, and Embry all followed after him.

"Okay," Jacob seemed a bit less furious when the others were gone. His face was a little calmer, but also more hopeless. His mouth seemed permanently pulled down at the corners. What happened to my not so little ball of sunshine?

I took a deep breath, "What the hell happened to you Jacob?"

He didn't answer and instead just stared at me bitterly. I stared back and the silence stretched on. The pain in his face unnerved me. I felt a lump beginning to build in my throat. I felt the tears prick my eyes. I hurriedly scrubbed them away.

"Please talk to me," I murmured while I could still speak.

He didn't respond in any way; his face didn't change.

I got out of my truck and started stomping towards the trees to the northern side of his house. I felt unseen eyes bore into my back, but I didn't care too much at the moment. My feet squished into the damp grass and mud beside the road. At first I thought he wasn't following me since I couldn't hear his lumbering footsteps, but when I glanced around he was right beside me. His footsteps were lighter than mine and he almost seemed noiseless in comparison to my loud footsteps.

I felt better in the fringe of trees, where Sam couldn't possibly be watching. As we walked, I struggled for the right thing to say, but nothing came. I just got more and more angry that Jacob and Embry had gotten sucked in, that uncle Billy had allowed this, that Sam was able to stand there so assured and calm... That motherfucker.

Jacob suddenly picked up the pace, strode ahead of me, and swung around to face me. He planted himself in my path barring the way forward. I raised a brow at him before pulling on a confused frown. Jacob had been nearly as klutzy as me with his never-ending growth spurt. When had that changed?

"Let's get this over with," he said in a hard, sulky voice.

I waited, glared at him and silently stewed. I crossed my arms and patiently waited for him to continue. He let out a huff when I didn't say anything else.

Jacob warily looked around before he muttered, "It's not what you think." His voice was abruptly weary, "It's not what I thought. Sam's gang isn't a cult; I was way off."

"So what is it, then?" I stared hard at him and impatiently tapped my mud covered boot.

He studied my face for a long moment, before he muttered, "I can't tell you."

My jaw tightened, and I spoke through my teeth, "The hell you can't. I'm you're older sister. Albeit godsister, but that's just minor. I thought we told each other everything."

"We did," There was a slight emphasis on the past tense. I ground my teeth. I refused to accept that. Absolutely refused.

"Oh I see. You don't need me anymore," I stated sourly as I rolled my eyes, "You have Sam. Isn't that nice - you've always looked up to him so much." I made sure my sarcasm was as thick as syrup.

Jacob shook his head and snorted, "I didn't understand him before."

My jaw twitched and I let out a derisive laugh, "And now you've seen the light. Hallelujah." I crossed my arms across my chest and grimaced.

Jacob started to pace in front of me. He glanced up at me for a moment before muttering, "It wasn't like I thought it was. This isn't Sam's fault. He's helping me as much as he can." He suddenly paused and looked over my head, past me, rage burning out from his eyes.

I craned my head and saw that the others were watching avidly. Was this some sort of funny show to them.

"So he's 'helping' you now," I ground my teeth and made air quotes.

I rolled my eyes, "Sure. Sure."

Jacob didn't seem to be listening. He took deep, deliberate breaths, but he still shook like crazy. It seemed like he was madder than a hatter, but I didn't know what I could've said to make him that mad. My sarcasm usually didn't set him off. Why was he acting this way? What was going on?

"Jacob, please. Won't you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help," I searched his face. Whatever sort of crazy he had gotten himself into, I was willing to get him out. I bet my dad wouldn't mind disbanding an actual gang even with Sam as its leader.

"No one can help me now," Jacob rapidly shook his head. His words came out as a broken whisper.

"What did he do to you?" I demanded as tears collected in my eyes. I reached out to him and tried to pull him into a hug.

He cringed away and held his hands up defensively. "Don't touch me," he muttered. His eyes were filled with anger and fear. Why was my little godbrother afraid? I could hardly hurt him. What the _fuck_ was going on here?

"What I can't even hug you now? Is that one of Sam's stupid rules?" I bit out. My stupid tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. I scrubbed them away with the heels of my hand and let my arms fall onto my sides.

"Stop blaming Sam," his voice was hard and his words came out fast almost like a reflex. His hands reached up to twist around the hair that was no longer there before they fell limply at his sides. Was that haircut even a choice of his. He loved his long hair and had previously vowed never to cut it.

"Then who should I blame?" I retorted as I pulled up my arms as I gestured around us. If not this crazy cult leader, then who? I would continue calling Sam that until he proved me wrong.

His eyes twinkled and I knew that the gears in his head were turning. I paused before I started ranting and searched his face.

A crooked smile pulled onto his lips as he hunkered down closer to me, "If you want to blame someone, you should point your finger at the filthy stupid bloodsuckers that are still here. It might be the Cullens, but probably not since a bunch of them have turned human. I don't know how that happened. There must be _others_ hunting the forest now."

My mouth fell open and my breath came out with a whooshing sound. I was frozen in place, stabbed through with his double-edged words. Fear twisted in familiar patterns throughout my body. I couldn't believe that I'd heard him correctly. There couldn't have been more than Victoria. Could there? I searched his face, but there was no indecision on his face, only fury.

I stared at him with wide eyes while I silently contemplated what that would mean for me and my loved ones.

"I told you that you didn't want to hear it," he frowned and shook his head.

"I don't understand who you mean," I whispered.

He raised one eyebrow in disbelief, "I think you understand exactly who I mean. You're not going to make me say it, are you?"

"I don't understand who you mean," I muttered and let out a disbelieving snort. Did he mean it was my fault?

"The leeches have come because of you," he said slowly, drawing out the word leeches.

I shook my head back and forth in denial, trying to clear it at the same time. How was that possible? And how did it have anything to do with Sam's cult? Was it a gang of vampire-haters? Cause shouldn't I be apart of that and not so much excluded? How was it all really _my_ fault? Why would Jacob start believing the stories about the Cullens now when the evidence of them was long gone? I mean, really they were mostly human now for heavens sake. The only vampires left were Alice and Jasper and they were due to change back soon.

"Be serious, Jacob," I bit my lower lip and shook my head. I searched his face, "It isn't really my fault, is it?"

He glared at me, his eyes critical. I flinched. Even if it wasn't, he thought it was.

"How can you blame _me_ for what _Sam's_ doing now?" I whimpered. I hated it when he was mad at me. I could never make him really mad before. This sucked.

"Sam isn't doing anything, Eliza. And I know that it's not really _your_ fault, but sometimes things are set in motion. Now it's too late," his eyes looked far away when he spoke.

"What's set in motion? What's too late? What are you blaming me for?" I took in a deep breath to calm myself, but new tears threatened to escape my eyes again.

He was suddenly right in my face, his fury glowing in his eyes. "I can't tell you," he hissed.

I was surprised and confused. That answered nothing. Why wasn't he – why wasn't he really answering me?

Jacob was fuming in front of me, quivering with anger at something or someone that I couldn't quite see. I didn't understand what was going on and it was starting to make me mad.

I shook my head in confusion, "You're being ridiculous. Of course you can tell. We're _family._ "

"Fine," Jacob answered, breathing deeply again. He looked away from me, "I won't argue with you. It doesn't matter anyways, the damage is done. That's all you need to know."

"What damage?" I frowned and tilted my head.

Jacob shook his head and turned around, "Let's head back. There's nothing more to say."

I gaped and stumbled as he walked past me, striding back toward the house. I barked, "There's everything more to say since you haven't really said anything."

He ignored me.

"I ran into Quil today," I yelled after him.

He paused midstep, but he didn't turn around.

"You remember our friend, Quil? Yeah, he's terrified," I clenched my hands into fists.

Jacob whirled to face me. His expression was pained, "Quil?"

I ground my teeth and felt the tears I was holding back leak a little, "He's worried about you too. He's freaked out."

Jacob stared past me with desperate eyes.

I goaded him further and let some of the tears streak down my face, "He's scared that he's next."

Jacob clutched at a tree for support and his face turned into a strange shade of green under the red-brown surface.

"He won't be next," Jacob muttered to himself, "He can't be. It should be over now. There's more than enough of us. Why? Why!?" His fist slammed against the tree. It wasn't a big tree, slender and only a few feet taller than Jacob, but it still surprised me when the trunk gave way and snapped off loudly under his blows.

Jacob stared at the sharp, broken point with shock that quickly turned to horror, "I have to get back." He whirled and stalked away so swiftly that I had to jog to keep up.

I sniffled and scrubbed away my tears, "Back to Sam!"

"That's one way of looking at it," he muttered as he strode even faster away.

I chased him back to my truck. "Wait!" I called out as he turned towards his house.

He spun around to face me and I saw that his hands were shaking again. Why was he mad? What for? What now?

He shot me a pained look, "Go home, Eliza. I can't hang out with you anymore."

My tears welled up again, "Jacob...why? Sam won't let you? Please, you promised me that family would always stick together. Did you not mean that?" My heart broke and I felt like a frog had jumped into my throat. We had promised each other that we'd always be there for one another when aunt Sarah died. Was he lying.

"I'm sorry, Eliza," Jacob murmured in a strained voice. He bit his lip and looked like he had more to say. He looked pained suddenly and whirled around away from me.

I didn't believe that this was really what Jacob wanted to say. It seemed like there was something else trying to be said through his eyes, but I couldn't understand the message. Maybe this wasn't about Sam at all. Maybe he was just trying to pull himself out of a hopeless situation. Whatever it was. I might have to let him do that on his own, if that was what was best for him. I should do that, but I heard my voice escape into a whisper.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did. I wish I could change whatever happened, Jacob." I reached out to him for a hug, but he shook his head. I wrapped my arms around myself. "Maybe...maybe I shouldn't have come here," I whispered. "Maybe, if I was somewhere else far away everything would be okay..."

His face went from anger to agony in a second. One shaking hand reached out toward me, "No. Don't think like that, Eliza, please. Don't blame yourself, don't think this is really your fault. This one is all me, I swear."

"I don't believe you," I whispered as I shook my head. I felt a cold chill seep into my bones. Would everything have gone better if I had gone somewhere else to recover? Was this all really _my_ fault?

"I mean it, Eliza. I'm not..." he struggled and his voice became hoarse. His eyes were tortured, "I'm not good enough to be your little brother anymore. I'm not what I was before. I'm not good."

"What?" I stared at him, confused and appalled. I let out a disbelieving breath, "What are you saying? You are good, Jacob. Better than most people that we know? Who told you that you weren't? _Sam_? It's a vicious lie, I swear! Don't let him tell you that!" I was suddenly yelling again, but I couldn't help it. I would never let someone make my little brother feel like _shit_.

Jacob's face went hard and flat, "No one had to tell me anything. I know what I am."

I stared at him in utter confusion, "You're my friend and my little brother, that's what you are! Jake – wha?"

He backed away from me and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Eliza," he said again; this time it was a broken mumble. He turned and almost ran into his house.

I was unable to move from where I stood. I stared at the little house. The little house that held so many of my fond childhood memories. It looked so much smaller now, too small to hold four large boys and two larger men. There was no reaction inside. No flutter at the edge of the curtain, no sound of voices or movement. It faced me vacantly and I felt my heart clench. I wanted my mom and dad. I wanted a hug, and I wanted and wished that everything would be okay.

The rain started to drizzle, pelting my anorak, but I couldn't take my eyes off the house. I didn't know what to do, and that made me feel even worse. The rain picked up, and so did the wind. The drops weren't falling from above; they slanted at an angle from the west. I could smell the brine from the ocean. My hair whipped in my face, sticking onto the wet places and tangling in my lashes. I breathed in the wet air and tried to calm my heart.

The door opened and uncle Billy rolled his chair into the door frame. His eyes were sad as he waved, "Charlie just called, Chippewa. I told him you were on your way home." It looked like he wanted to say something more, but something seemed to be holding him back.

I let out a teary laugh before I waved goodbye to my godfather. I turned robotically and climbed into my truck. I'd left the windows open and the seats were slick and wet, but it didn't matter since I was already soaked.

When I drove into my driveway I saw that my dad was waiting on the porch. As I rolled to a stop, he walked out to meet me holding out an umbrella.

"Billy called. He said you got in fight with Jake - said you were pretty upset," he explained as he opened my door for me. I unbuckled my seat belt and leaned into my dad.

Then he looked at my face. A kind of horrified recognition registered in his expression. I tried to feel my face from the inside out, to know what he was seeing. My face felt empty and cold, and I realized what it would remind him of. It was exactly like his when my mom left him.

I pulled on a weak smile, "That's not exactly how it happened."

He put his arm around me and helped me out of the car. He didn't comment on my wet clothes for once.

"Then what did happen, sweetheart?'" he asked when we were inside. He pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa as he spoke and wrapped it around my shoulders. I realized I was shivering.

I turned morose eyes up at my dad, "Sam Uley says Jacob can't be my little brother anymore."

He shot me a strange look, "Who told you that?"

"Jacob," I stated, though that wasn't exactly what he'd said. It was still true for the most part.

My dad's eyebrows pulled together, "Do you really think there's something wrong with the Uley kid?"

"Maybe, but Jacob wouldn't tell me what though," I could hear the water from my clothes dripping onto the floor and splashing against the hardwood floor. I sneezed and sighed, "I'm going to go change now, dad."

"Okay," he said absently, a strained smile on his face.

I decided to take a shower because I was so cold, but the hot water didn't seem to help. I was still freezing when I gave up and shut the water off. In the sudden quiet, I could hear my dad talking to someone downstairs. I wrapped a towel around me, and cracked the bathroom door open.

His voice was angry, "I'm not buying that. It doesn't make any sense." It was quiet for a brief moment, and I realized that he was on the phone. A minute passed.

"Don't you put this on Eliza!" he suddenly shouted.

I jumped. When he spoke again, his voice was careful and lower, "Well, if that was it, then why didn't you say so at first? No, Billy, I think she's right about this...Because I know my daughter, and if she says Jacob was scared before - " He was cut off mid-sentence, and when he answered he was almost shouting again.

"What do you mean I don't know my daughter as well as I think I do?!" he paused for a brief second, and his response was almost too low for me to hear. "If you think I'm going to remind her about that, then you had better think again. She's getting over it, and mostly because of being _here_ with _**family**_ in case you forgot _._ If whatever Jacob has going on with this Sam character sends her back into a depression, then Jacob is going to have to answer to me. You're my best friend, Billy, but this is hurting my daughter."

There was another pause before he barked out, "You got that right - those boys set one toe out of line and I'm going to know about it. We'll be keeping an eye on the situation, you can be sure of that." He was no longer just Charlie; he was Chief Kites now.

"Fine. Yeah. Goodbye," he let out a derisive snort. I heard him stomp towards the kitchen, and I knew that my dad was probably muttering angry unsavory things by now. I tiptoed quickly across the hall into my room.

It was strange, but after the last thing Jacob had said this afternoon I didn't believe it anymore. There was much more to this than they were willing to say. It made me think that whatever secret they were keeping was bigger than I'd been imagining. At least my dad was on my side now. I fiddled with the idea of telling my mom, but threw that idea aside. I didn't need to make her worry more than necessary.

I put my pajamas on and crawled into bed. Life seemed dark at the moment, and I didn't get why this was happening. I plugged my charger into my phone and stared at the glowing clock. It was already late, but I couldn't sleep. I glanced at the T3s that innocently sat on my bedside table. Maybe this one time...I let myself cheat and swallowed a pill down without any water. I slipped into sleep with the last thought of my finished homework on my mind.

It was a new dream tonight. Rain was falling and Jacob was walking soundlessly beside me, though beneath my feet the ground crunched like dry gravel. The smooth grace of his walk reminded me of someone else, and as I watched, his features started to change. The color of his skin drained away which left his face as pale as bones. His eyes turned crimson, and his teeth elongated into the fangs that haunted me. He lunged and I screamed.

I jolted awake breathing hard. I clutched at my throat and let out a sigh of relief when I didn't feel blood. I wasn't sure when I woke in the dark, but my phone's clock glowed against the darkness. It was three in the morning. I inwardly cursed and stared at my dark ceiling. I closed my eyes wearily and prayed for a dreamless sleep. Stupid T3 didn't help at all.

That's when I heard the noise that must have woke me up in the first place. Something sharp scraped along the length of my window with a high-pitched squeal, like fingernails against the glass. My heart thudded and I swear it was going to jump out of my chest. Fuck.


	29. Chapter 29

**29\. Loyalties**

My eyes flew wide open with fright. I wasn't positive whether I was awake or asleep, but I was still pretty freaked out. Something scratched against my window again with the same thin, high-pitched sound. My heart thundered against my rib cage.

Confused and clumsy with sleep, I stumbled out of my bed and towards the window with my gun in hand. I blinked repeatedly trying to clear my eyes. I had to focus. A huge, dark shape wobbled erratically on the other side of the glass, lurching toward me like it was going to smash right through. I staggered back, terrified, my throat closing around a scream.

Victoria.

She'd come for me.

I was dead.

Fuck. Not my dad too!

I choked back the building scream and pointed at the window with my gun. I didn't know how I would keep quiet through this, but I would make sure my shot rang true this time. No one was going to kill my dad. No one.

A familiar husky voice called from the dark shape.

"Eliza!" it hissed, "Ouch! Damn it, open the window! OUCH!"

It took me two seconds to shake off the horror before I could move. I placed the gun on my desk and hurried to the window. I shoved open my window. The clouds were dimly lit from behind, enough for me to make sense of the shapes.

"What are you doing?" I gasped and let out a disbelieving breath.

Jacob clung precariously to the top of the tall apple tree that grew near the side of the house by my window. His weight had bowed the tree further towards my house. His legs dangled twenty feet above the ground and the thin branches at the tip of the tree scraped against the side of the house again with a grating squeal.

"I'm trying to keep" - he huffed, shifted his weight as the treetop bounced him - "my promise!"

I blinked rapidly, suddenly sure that I was still dreaming, "When did you _ever_ promise to kill yourself falling out of my apple tree?"

He snorted, unamused, and swung his legs to improve his balance. "Get out of the way," he ordered.

I reeled back, "What?"

He swung his legs again, backwards and forward, increasing his momentum. I realized what he was trying to do.

"Don't you dare!" I hissed as I ducked to the side. With a grunt, he launched himself toward my open window.

My breath caught in my throat as I waited for him to fall to his death or maim himself against the wooden siding. To my shock, he swung agilely into my room and landed on the balls of his feet with a low thud like a cat.

We both looked to the door automatically, holding our breath, waiting to see if the noise had roused my dad from sleep. A short moment of silence passed and then we heard the muffled sound of my dad's snores.

A wide grin spread slowly across Jacob's face; he seemed extremely pleased with himself. Mischief danced in his eyes as he preened in his achievement not to kill himself or wake up my dad. That was all a bit much for me.

"Get out!" I hissed, putting as much venom into the whisper as I could. This was crazy. Seriously crazy. I could've shot him.

He blinked, his face going blank with surprise. "No," he protested. He frowned at me, "I came to apologize."

I sighed and shook my head, "Fine! Just get out." I tried to shove him back out the window. If this was a dream it wouldn't really hurt him. It was useless though since I couldn't move him at all. I dropped my hands quickly, and stepped away from him. When did he get so heavy?

He wore a thin flimsy shirt even though the air blowing in the window was cold enough to make me shiver. Wasn't he cold?

Suddenly, it was just more than I could handle. I swayed unsteadily, and struggled to keep my eyes open. I did _not_ have time for this shit.

"Eliza?" Jacob whispered anxiously. He caught my elbow as I swayed again, and steered me back to my bed. My legs gave out when I reached the edge, and I plopped into a limp heap on the mattress.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked, worry creased his forehead.

I looked up at him, "Why in the world would I be okay?"

Anguish replaced some of the bitterness in his face. "Right," he agreed, and took a deep breath, "Crap. Well...I - I'm so sorry, Eliza." The apology was sincere, no doubt about it, but there was still an angry twist to his features.

I sighed and let my fore arm flop onto my eyes, "Why did you come here? Through the window of all places. You couldn't wait until the morning or call like a normal person."

"No, I couldn't," he whispered, "I couldn't leave things the way I did this afternoon. I was horrible. I'm sorry."

I shook my head wearily, "I still don't understand anything."

"I know. I want to explain - " he broke off suddenly, his mouth open, almost like something had cut off his air. Then he sucked in a deep breath, "But I can't explain even though I wish I could."

I sighed and tilted my head, "Why?"

He was quiet for a moment. I searched his face for an answer. What I saw surprised me. His eyes were squinted, his teeth clenched, and his forehead wrinkled in effort.

"What's wrong?" I asked while I poked his cheek. It wasn't as squishy as I remembered.

He exhaled heavily, and I realized he'd been holding his breath too. "I can't do it," he muttered, frustrated.

I leveled him with an expectant look, "Do what?"

He ignored my question, "Look, Eliza. Haven't you ever had a secret that you couldn't tell anyone?"

He looked at me with knowing eyes, and my thoughts jumped immediately to vampires, shape shifters, witches, and the magical world. I hoped my expression didn't look guilty.

"Something you felt like you had to keep from uncle Charlie?" he pressed, "Something you won't even talk about with me? Not even now?"

I felt my eyes tighten. I didn't answer his question, but I knew he would take that as a confirmation.

"Can you understand that I might have the same kind of 'situation'?" he was struggling again, and seemed to fight for the right words. He muttered, "Sometimes, loyalty gets in the way of what you want to do. Sometimes, it's not your secret to tell."

I couldn't argue with that. He was exactly right. I had a secrets that weren't mine to tell, yet I felt bound to protect them. I still didn't see how it applied to him, or Sam, or uncle Billy. What was it to them? Uncle Billy already knew about the magical world as far as I knew, and Sam and Jacob really didn't _need_ to know. They didn't need to get tangled into danger. It was safer for them to be ignorant.

I crossed my arms and sighed, "I don't know why you came here, Jacob. If you were just going to give me riddles instead of answers you could've just texted me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "But this is so frustrating."

We looked at each other for a long moment, both our faces hopeless.

"The part that kills me," he said abruptly, "Is that you already know. I already told you everything!"

I raised a brow, "What are you talking about?" Was he talking about what I _think_ he was talking about? Did he know now too?

He sucked in a startled breath, his face shifted from hopelessness to blazing intensity in a second. He stared fiercely into my eyes, and his voice was fast and eager. He spoke the words right into my face. His breath smelt like a dog. He really needed to brush his teeth more.

"I think I see a way to make this work out - because you know this, Eliza! I can't tell you, but if you _guessed_ it! That would let me right off the hook!" he leaned back and bounced on the heels of his feet.

I frowned and sighed, "You want me to guess?"

A wide grin spread across his face, "Yeah! Guess my secret. You can do it - you know the answer."

I blinked twice, trying to clear my head. I was so tired. Was he really serious? Were we really playing guess my secret? We hadn't done this since we were seven. This felt really stupid.

He took in my unimpressed expression, and then his face tensed with effort again, "Wait, let me see if I can give you some help."

"Help?" I asked dubiously. My eyelids threatened to fall, but I forced them open. It was really too early for all of this.

"Yeah," he said, shooting me a strained smile, "Like clues."

"Remember the bonfire on the beach in La Push when you came here earlier this year?" he poked my forehead with his too hot hand. It felt like he was burning up.

I frowned at him and pushed his hand away, "Of course I do."

He nodded and poked my cheek, "Tell me about it."

I took a deep breath and tried not to smack him, "We went for a walk down the beach, and you told me about the Quileute legends again."

He closed his eyes and opened them again, "Yes." The word was tense, fervent, like he was on the edge of something vital. He spoke slowly, making each word distinct, "Do you remember what I said?"

I frowned, "Yeah, of course I do. Uncle Billy told _both_ of us those stories when we were younger too."

He inhaled deeply, struggling, "Do you remember the stor- " He couldn't finish the question. His mouth popped open like something had stuck in his throat.

"The stories?" I asked impatiently.

He nodded mutely.

My head churned. Only one story really mattered at that time. I knew he'd begun with others, but I couldn't quite remember, especially not while my brain was so clouded with exhaustion. All I really recalled were shape shifters and vampires, so I started to shake my head.

Jacob groaned and pressed his fists against his forehead as he breathed fast and angry. "You know this, you know this," he muttered to himself.

"Jacob, please, I'm exhausted. I'm not good at this right now. Maybe in the morning..." I yawned and stretched out my back.

He took a steadying breath and nodded, "Maybe it'll come back to you." He plunked back onto the mattress beside me.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question about that?" he asked as he sighed heavily.

"A question about what?" I murmured warily.

He shot me an expectant look, "About the vampire story I told you."

I stared at him with guarded eyes, unable to answer. He asked his question anyway.

"Did you honestly not know?" he muttered. He bit his lip and searched my face, "Was I the one who told you what he was? What they were?"

How did he- ? Why did he decide to believe, why now? My teeth clenched together. I stared back at him, no intention of speaking. I refused to put him in danger because of what I knew.

"See what I mean about loyalty?" he sighed, "It's the same for me, only worse. You can't imagine how tight I'm bound..."

I didn't like that - didn't like the way his eyes closed as if he were in pain when he spoke of being bound. I hated it, hated anything that caused him pain. Hated it fiercely.

For me, this was all essentially voluntary. I protected the Cullens' secret out of love; love for **my** family and friends. Not them. Sure, I liked their family, but I wouldn't put _my loved ones_ in danger for them. For Jacob, it didn't voluntary at all. Whatever bound him to them.

"Isn't there any way for you to get free?" I whispered, touching the rough edge at the back of his head.

His hands began to tremble, but he didn't open his eyes, "No. I'm in this for life. A life sentence." A bleak laugh escaped him, "Longer, maybe." Damn. What kind of gang was he in?

I grimaced, "What if we killed him?" That would fix it right? We'd be on the run _forever,_ but at least he wouldn't be in a gang anymore.

"That's not something either of us should do, Eliza," he whispered. His shoulders were shaking now, too. He took a deep breath, "Look, I've got to leave. You need your sleep, and I need you firing on all pistons. You're going to figure this out, you have to."

I frowned at his hesitant look, "And why else?"

He scowled, "I had to sneak out. I'm not supposed to see you. They've got to be wondering where I am." His mouth twisted, "I suppose I should go let them know."

"You don't have to tell them anything," I insisted. Jacob wasn't a child to led around by a leash, he had to know that.

He shook his head, "I don't have a choice."

Anger flashed hot inside of me, "I hate them."

Jacob looked at me with wide eyes, surprised, "No, Eliza. Don't hate them. It's not Sam's or any of the others' faults. I told you before - it's _me_. Sam is actually incredibly cool. Jared and Paul are great, too, though Paul is kind of a dick. And Embry's always been _our_ friend. Nothing's changed there - the only thing that hasn't changed. I feel really bad about the things I used to think about Sam..."

"Sure Sam's was incredibly cool now," I sarcastically tacked on and stared at him in disbelief. He let my comment slide off of him like water.

I sighed and let my shoulders slump, "Then why aren't you supposed to see me? What? You guys aren't allowed to see family anymore? Or is it because I'm white and he's a racist?"

Jacob let out a guffaw and shook his head before his expression turned morose. "That's not it. It's not safe," he mumbled looking down.

His words sent a tendril of fear through me. He was right. A psychotic vampire was still supposedly after me...it was the middle of the night, the perfect time for hunting. Jacob shouldn't be here in my room. If someone came for me, I had to be alone. I had to be ready to protect myself and having another person around would distract me. I glanced at the gun on my desk. I was glad he hadn't asked about it.

"If I thought it was too risky I wouldn't have come, but Eliza," he looked at me again, "I made you a promise when we were little. I had no idea it would be so hard to keep, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try." A sad smile slipped onto his face at that reminder. When aunt Sarah had died...we had promised not to leave one another. Then the twins left and that just cemented our resolve. No one gets left behind. No one.

"I know, Jacob. It'll be okay," I didn't know if I was lying about it all being okay, but I knew that I would have to make a little bit better. I had to try to save him, even if he didn't know it.

"Thanks," he took my hand, "I'm going to do what I can. I'll be there for you, just like we promised." He grinned at me suddenly, "It would really help if you could figure this out on your own, Eliza. Put some honest effort into it."

I snorted out a laugh, "I'll try."

"And I'll try to see you soon," he sighed, "Even though I know that they'll try to talk me out of it."

I patted his hand and shrugged, "Just don't listen to them."

"I'll try," he let out a slight laugh and shook his head, "Come and tell me as soon as you figure it out." Something occurred to him just then, something that made his hands shake, "If you...if you want to."

I reeled back slightly and shot him a disbelieving look, "Why wouldn't I want to see you?"

His face turned hard and bitter, one hundred percent the face that belonged to Sam. "Oh, I can think of a couple reasons," he stated harshly. He let out a depressed breath, "Look, I really have to go. Could you do something for me?"

I nodded, worried about his sporadic moods.

He muttered, "At least call me - if you don't want to see me again. Let me know if it's like that."

I let out an irritated sigh, "That won't happen."

He raised one hand, cutting me off, "Just let me know." He stood and headed for the window.

"Don't be an idiot," I waved my hand at the distance between the window and tree, "You'll break your leg. Use the door. I doubt that my dad would really care that you were here. Weirded out, but not worried."

"I won't get hurt," he muttered, but he turned for the door. He hesitated as he passed me and stared at me with an expression like something was stabbing him. He held one hand out, his face pleading.

I took his hand, and suddenly he yanked me into a in a bear hug that crushed me. "Can't - breathe!" I gasped.

He dropped me at once, keeping one hand at my shoulder so I didn't fall over. He gently mussed up my hair, "Get some sleep. You've got to get your head working. I know you can do this. I need you to understand. I won't lose you, Eliza. Not because of this."

He went through the door in one stride, opening it quietly, and disappeared through it. I listened for his squeaky steps, but there was no sound. I lay back on my bed and my thoughts whirred. I was too confused and too worn out to really think about it. I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of it, only to be swallowed up by unconsciousness so swift that it was disorienting.

It was not a peaceful, dreamless sleep. I was in the dark forest again, and I started to wander away like I always did.

I quickly became aware that this was not the same dream as usual. For one thing, I felt no compulsion to search; I was merely wandering out of habit. Actually, this wasn't even the same forest. The smell was different, the shadows were smaller, and the light was warmer. It smelled, not like the damp earth of the dark woods, but like the brine of the ocean. I couldn't see the sky, but it seemed like the sun must've be shining. It was so warm. The leaves above me were a bright jade green instead of the dark emerald they usually were.

This place must've been the forest around La Push, somewhere near the beach. I was sure of it. I knew that if I found the beach, I would be able to see the sun, so I hurried forward. I followed the faint sounds of waves in the distance.

And then suddenly Jacob was there. He grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward the blackest part of the forest.

"Jacob, what's wrong?" I asked. His face was the frightened face of a boy, and his hair was long again, swept back into a ponytail on the nape of his neck. He yanked with all his strength, but I resisted; I didn't want to go into the dark.

"Run, Eliza, you have to run!" he whispered, terrified.

The abrupt wave of deja vu was so strong it nearly woke me up.

I knew why I recognized this place now. It was because I'd been here before, in another dream. It was the dream I'd had the night after I'd walked with Jacob on the beach. The first night I knew that Edward was a vampire. Reliving that day with Jacob must have dredged this dream out of my buried memories.

Detached from the dream now, I waited for it to play out. Jacob dropped my hand and yelped. Shaking and twitching, he fell to the ground at my feet. In his place was an enormous, red-brown wolf with dark, intelligent eyes. The dream veered off course, like a train jumping the tracks.

This was not the same wolf that I'd dreamed of before. This one was the great russet wolf I'd stood half a foot from in the meadow, just a week ago. This wolf was gigantic, monstrous, bigger than a bear. He stared intently at me, trying to convey something vital with his intelligent eyes. The black-brown, familiar eyes of my little godbrother.

I jolted away with my heart hammering inside of my chest. I breathed rapidly and looked around my dark room before I flopped back down onto my pillows.

I remembered it all now - every word that Jacob had said to me that day on the beach.

"He frowned and sighed, "Well, there's one legend that claims that we descended from wolves - and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's still against tribal law to kill them. Then there are the stories about the cold ones."

I remembered being nervous that my suspicions had been confirmed, "The cold ones?"

He spotted my worried expression and pulled on a strained smile, "There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolves and werewolves. The wolves turn into men though, so the legend says. Not like werewolves, but more like shape shifters."

I had been a little surprised at that tidbit of information, "Your great-grandfather?"

"You mean, like in Harry Potter?" I asked helpfully.

Jacob rolled his eyes at me and let out a snorting laugh, "Yeah, you Potter nut."

I stared at him impatiently, "And?"

"Bossy. Hold on and let me continue... so the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. This coven that came to our territory, during my great-grandfather's time, were different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did, they didn't seem as dangerous, so my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the outside world," Jacob stated solemnly. So that meant that Jacob was _officially_ a wolf shape shifter now.

What _hell_ kind of a place was this? Why was the world full of creatures that were only mentioned in stories? How did this all happen to the small town that I had loved? I thought that I was in enough trouble when it was just me and my mom that knew about the magical dangerous side of the world. Now Jacob was pulled in it too. Did this mean that every fairy-tale was grounded somewhere in absolute truth? I needed to think. Even with the benefits of magic, it didn't seem that great right now.

A small, dry voice in the back of my mind asked me what the big deal was. Hadn't I already accepted this all before? Exactly, I wanted to scream back at the voice. I had almost died because of it, and I didn't want to drag anymore of my family into it. I couldn't and wouldn't be able to stand it if I lost them.

I fought the urge to scream again. Why was this happening to me? There must've been something deeply wrong with me. Why else would my life be filled with characters from horror movies? Why else would I need to worry about living past seventeen? Was this all some horror story that I was stuck in?

In my head, everything spun and shifted, rearranging so that things that had meant one thing before, now meant something else.

There was no cult. There had never been a cult, or a gang. No, it was much worse than that. It was a pack.

A pack of five mind blowing gigantic, shape shifting wolves that had stalked right past me in that meadow. They probably ripped apart that stupid vampire Laurent. That was my only solace right now. One less vampire out to kill me I supposed.

Suddenly, I was in a frantic hurry. I glanced at the clock on my phone - it was way too early, but I didn't care. I had to go to La Push now. I had to see Jacob so he could tell me that I hadn't lost my mind. That this was all real. I definitely had to call my mom later too. This was getting to be all too much.

I pulled on the first clean clothes I could find, strapped on my gun, pocketed some holy water and made sure that I had my phone, wallet, and keys. I took the stairs two at a time and almost ran into my dad as I skidded into the hallway, headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, surprised to see me up already. He frowned, "Do you know what time it is?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I have to go see Jacob."

My dad frowned, "I thought the thing with Sam - "

I shook my head, "That doesn't matter, I have to talk to him right now. In person. It's important."

"It's pretty early," his brows tented when my expression didn't change, "Don't you want breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry," the words flew through my lips. He was blocking my path to the exit. I considered ducking around him and making a run for it, but I knew I would have to explain that to him later. I hugged my dad and steadily stated, "I'll be back soon. I promise."

He frowned and eventually returned my hug. I heard him let out a deep sigh, "Straight to Jacob's house, okay?"

"Of course, dad. Where would I stop?" I stepped away from him and pulled on my shoes.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly, "There's been another bear and wolf attack. It was real close to the resort by the hot springs, and there's a witness this time. The victim was only a dozen yards from the road when he disappeared. His wife saw a huge gray wolf just a few minutes later while she was searching for him, and ran for help."

My stomach dropped like I'd hit a corkscrew on a roller coaster, "A wolf attacked him?"

"There's no sign of him - just a little blood again," my dad's face was pained, "The rangers are going out armed, taking armed volunteers. There are a lot of hunters who are eager to be involved - there's a reward being offered for wolf and bear carcasses. That's going to mean a lot of firepower out there in the forest, and it worries me." He shook his head, "When people get too excited accidents happen"

"They're going to kill them?" my voice shot up three octaves as I straightened up.

"What else can we do? What's wrong?" he asked, his tense eyes studied my face. I felt faint; I must be whiter than usual. He pecked my forehead and ruffled my hair, "You aren't turning into a tree-hugger on me, are you?"

I couldn't answer. If he hadn't been watching me, I would have put my head between my knees. I'd forgotten about the missing hikers, the bloody paw prints. Fuck.

My dad pulled me into a warm hug, "Look, honey, don't let this scare you. Just stay in town or on the highway - no stops - okay?"

"Okay," I weakly replied.

He patted my shoulder and released me from his embrace, "I've got to go."

I looked at him closely for the first time, and saw that he had his gun strapped to his waist and hiking boots on. My brows furrowed, "You aren't going out there after the wolves, are you, dad?"

"I've got to help, honey. People are disappearing again," he shot me a reassuring smile, but I was still scared for him.

I felt my throat clog up and I blinked away tears that threatened to fall, "Be safe dad...come back in one piece."

"I'll be fine, sweetie," he turned for the door, and held it open, "You leaving too?"

I hesitated, my stomach still spinning in uncomfortable loops. "Maybe it's too early to go to La Push," I whispered.

"I agree," he stated softly as he stepped out into the rain. The door gently shut behind him. As soon as he was out of sight, I dropped down onto the floor and put my head between my knees.

Should I go after my dad? What would I say? And what about Jacob? Jacob was one of my best friends and my little godbrother; I needed to warn him. If he really was a wolf shape shifter, then people would be shooting at him. I needed to tell him and his friends that people would try to kill them if they went running around like gigantic wolves. I needed to tell them to stop.

They had to stop. My dad was going to be out there with so many other people. Would they care about that? I needed to believe that Jacob, at least, would care about that. Either way, I had to warn him.

Or...did I?

Jacob was family, but was he a monster too? Should I warn him, if he and his friends were murderers? What if they were the ones out slaughtering innocent hikers in cold blood? If they were truly creatures from a horror movie and not shape shifters like I thought they were, would it be wrong to protect them?


	30. Chapter 30

**30\. New Revelations**

If it was anyone but Jacob and Embry, I would've let them get shot. I shook my head as I drove down the forest lined highway to La Push. I still wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, but it _felt_ like the right thing to do. I wasn't _sure_ they were the ones killing people; I didn't know what I would do if it really was them. Was it them or was it vampires? I couldn't tell.

I pulled up to my godbrother's house; my second home, with my lips pressed together into a hard line. The house was dark and there were no lights in the windows, but I didn't care if I woke them. My fist thudded against the front door with angry energy; the sound reverberated through the walls. This was an emergency.

"Come in," I heard uncle Billy call after a minute, and a light flicked on.

I twisted the knob and found that their door was unlocked. Uncle Billy was leaning around an open doorway just off the little kitchen. His bathrobe hung around his shoulders and he wasn't in his wheelchair yet. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened briefly, and then his expression turned worried.

He pulled on a strained smile, "Well, good morning, Chippewa. What are you doing up so early?"

"Hi, uncle Billy. I need to talk to Jacob," I stated willing myself to smile hollowly.

"I don't really know if that's a good idea," he murmured as he shook his head.

"Do you know what my dad is doing this morning, uncle Billy?" I demanded, sick of the stalling.

"Should I?" he raised his brow.

I searched his face and let out a worried breath, "He and half the other men in town are all out in the woods with guns, hunting bears and _giant_ **wolves**."

My godfather's expression flickered, and I caught a look of panic flash across his face before he slumped in his seat.

"I need to talk to Jacob, uncle Billy," I steadily stated.

He pursed his lips for a long moment. "I'd bet he's still asleep," he finally said, nodding toward the tiny hallway off the front room. He let out a long sigh, "He's out late a lot these days."

"I'll wake him up," I muttered under my breath as I stalked through the hallway. Jacob's tiny closet of a room was the only door in the yard-long hallway. I didn't bother to knock. I yanked the door open and strode into the room.

Jacob was still wearing the same black cut-off sweats and flimsy shirt he'd worn last night, He was stretched diagonally across the double bed that took up all of his room but a few inches around the edges. Even on a slant, it wasn't long enough; his feet hung off the one end and his head off the other. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his mouth hanging open. The sound of the door hadn't even made him twitch. His face was peaceful with deep sleep, all the angry lines smoothed out. There were circles under his eyes that I hadn't noticed before. Despite his ridiculous size, he looked so young now and very weary. Pity shook me.

I stepped back out, and shut the door quietly behind me. I found uncle Billy in his wheelchair when I walked back down the hallway. He stared at me with curious worried eyes as I walked slowly back towards the front room.

I let out a sad laugh, "I think I'll let him get some rest."

He nodded, and then we gazed at each other for a minute. I was dying to ask him about his part in this. What did shape shifting wolves really do? Did they need to hunt like actual wolves still? I knew how he had supported Sam from the very beginning so I supposed that whatever they did must not bother him. I could see many questions for me in his dark eyes, but he didn't voice them either.

"Look," I said, breaking the loud silence, "I'll be down at the beach for a while. When he wakes up, tell him I'm waiting for him, okay uncle Billy?"

"Sure, sure," he agreed. He rubbed my shoulder as I passed by him. I smiled softly to myself and sighed. What had the world come to?

I drove down to First Beach and parked in the empty dirt lot. It was still dark. The gloomy predawn of a cloudy day pulled down my already dismal mood. When I cut the headlights it was hard to see. I had to let my eyes adjust before I was able to find a path that led through the tall hedge of weeds. It was colder here as the wind whipped off the black water. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my anorak and let out a deep breath. I paced down the beach toward the northern seawall. I couldn't see St. James or the other islands, just the vague shape of the water's edge. I picked my way carefully across the rocks and watched out for driftwood that might trip me.

I found a long bone-white driftwood tree stranded deep on the rocks as I walked further. The roots twisted up at the seaward end like a hundred brittle tentacles. It seemed like a good place as any to sit down. I stared out across the churning waves and let my thoughts consume me. Seeing Jacob like that; innocent and vulnerable while he slept, had stolen all my all of my anger. I still couldn't turn a blind eye to what could have been happening, like my godfather seemed to, but I couldn't condemn Jacob for it either. Once you cared about a person, it was impossible to be totally logical about them anymore. Jacob was my little brother whether he killed people or not, and I didn't know what I was going to do about that.

When I pictured him sleeping again, I felt an overpowering urge to protect him. It was just like when other kids on the reservation picked on him when the twins left. I ended up actually punching someone's face. The grounding and broken hand was worth it. I brooded over my memory of his peaceful face. I tried to come up with some answer, some way to shelter him, while the sky slowly turned gray.

"Hi, Eliza," Jacob's voice came out from the gloom and made me jump. His voice was soft, almost shy, but I'd been expecting some forewarning from the noisy rocks, so he still startled me. I could see his silhouette against the on coming sunrise; it looked enormous.

I turned towards where I heard his voice, "Jacob?"

He stood several paces away and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Anxiety was clearly written all over his face, "My dad told me you came by. It didn't take you very long, did it? I knew you that you knew deep down."

"Yeah," I murmured. It was quiet for a long moment and, even though it was still too dark to see, my skin prickled as his eyes searched my face. There must have been something wrong with how my face twisted because when he spoke again his voice was suddenly acidic.

"You could have just called," he said harshly.

I nodded, "I know." I doubt he would've picked up though. Not at this rate.

Jacob paced along the rocks. If I listened very hard, I could just hear the gentle brush of his feet on the rocks behind the sound of the waves. The rocks had clattered like castanets for me.

"Why did you come?" he demanded, not halting his angry stride.

"I thought it would be better to have this conversation face-to-face," I sighed as I ran my hand through my long hair.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, "Oh, much better."

I frowned, "Jacob, I have to warn you-"

He cut me off and let out a derisive laugh, "About the rangers and the hunters? Don't worry about it. We already know."

"Don't worry about it?" I demanded in disbelief, "Are you serious? They have guns! They're setting traps and offering rewards and- " The last time I checked, wolves weren't immune to bullets or traps.

"We can take care of ourselves," he growled as he paced, "They're not going to catch anything. They're only making it more difficult - they'll start _disappearing_ soon enough, too." I took that as his admission of guilt. I felt gutted.

"Oh. My. God. Are you _really_ serious right now? You shouldn't say that!" I hissed.

He shot me a dark look, "What? It's just a fact."

My voice was pale with revulsion, "How can you feel that way? You _know_ these people. My dad's out there!" That thought alone made my stomach twist into a pretzel.

He came to an abrupt stop. "What more can we do?" he retorted.

The rising sun turned the clouds into a silvery pink above us bathing us with light through the cracks in the clouds. I could properly see his expression now; it was angry, frustrated, and betrayed. I don't know why he felt betrayed. I wasn't the one out killing people, was I? No. No, I wasn't.

"I don't understand you, Jacob. Why **don't** you _care_ about these people?" I ground my teeth and clenched my hands into fists, "Is it really necessary to **_kill_ ** people? I mean, if vampires can find a way to survive _without_ outright **murdering** people, couldn't you guys give it a try too?"

He stopped and straightened up with a jerk, like my words had sent an electric shock through him. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes stared wide as his mouth dropped open.

"Killing people?" he demanded letting out a bewildered breath.

I shot him a dark look, "What did you think we were talking about?"

He looked at me with half-hopeful disbelief, "I thought we were talking about your **_disgust_ ** for shape shifters."

"No, Jacob. I don't have a problem with that," I firmly stated. I really didn't care if he turned into a big wolf. That wasn't what I was worried about. I bit my inner cheek, "If you could just find a way to _not_ hurt people. That's all that upsets me. These are innocent people, people like my dad, and I can't just look the other way while you guys- "

"Is that all? Really?" he interrupted me, a smile breaking across his face, "You're just scared because you think that I'm a murderer? That's the only reason?"

I let out a disgusted sound, "Isn't that reason enough?" Murdering people was a pretty big deal, and I didn't like how casual he was about it all. This was a serious conversation, God damn it.

He started to laugh. He laughed so hard he had to brace himself against his thighs.

I glared at him and hissed, "Jacob Alexander Black, this is so **not** funny! This is _really_ serious."

"Sure, sure," he agreed, still chortling. He took one long stride towards me and caught me in another vice-tight bear hug.

"You really, honestly don't mind that I morph into a giant wolf?" he asked, his voice joyful in my ear.

"No," I gasped, "God! I can't breathe Jacob!"

He let me plop back onto the ground. I frowned deeply at him as he took both my hands in his, "I'm not a killer. None of us are. I promise. I swear on my mom's grave."

He'd never lie if he swore on Aunt Sarah's grave. At least I hope he wouldn't. I studied his face, and it was clear that this was the truth. Relief pulsed through me. I let out a deep sigh. Well **that** was good news. Were vampires killing the hikers then, or were the bears? I shook that thought away and focused on Jacob. I could figure out who the real murderers were later.

"Really?" I asked. I had to be certain.

"Really. Really," he promised solemnly. His eyes twinkled merrily and I threw my arms around him. It was an awkward hug since he was so big now. I felt even more like a child, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that I had my little godbrother back. That was the important part. Now I just had to figure out how to get Embry to talk to me too.

I mumbled against his chest, "I'm sorry I called you a murderer."

He laughed and shrugged as he let go of me. I thought of something then, and pulled away from him so that I could see his face. My eyebrows furrowed in anxiety, "What about Sam and the others?"

He shook his head, smiling like a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders, "Don't you remember what we call ourselves in all those old stories that my dad used to tell us?"

I scoured my memory and muttered, "Protectors, right?"

He beamed at me and cracked his back, "Exactly."

"So what's happening in the woods? The missing hikers and the blood?" I murmured. I was hoping that it was another misunderstanding and that there were only forest creatures that were making the hikers disappear and _not_ vampires. I was hoping against bad odds, I guess.

His face became serious, worried at once, "We're trying to do our job, Eliza. We're trying to protect them, but we're always just a little too late."

I frowned and prayed that it wasn't because of vampires, "Protect them from what exactly?" Please be bears. Please be bears. Please be bears.

"Eliza, honey, we only protect people from one thing. That thing is vampires. It is the sole reason as to why we can shift forms, because they exist," Jacob looked at me expectantly and patted my head gently. Did that mean the magic around vampires triggered something in their genes? I brushed that thought away. It wasn't really that important right now. I could always ask later.

He continued on despite my silence, "I thought **you** , of all people, would realize what was really going on."

Could the mass murderer be...? "Laurent," I whispered, "He's the one killing people." He was alive then. Damn it. He had to be the one killing all these people since Victoria was only after me. She wouldn't be so obvious about killing people either, would she? Why couldn't she have just gotten ripped to pieces like James?

Jacob blinked twice before he cocked his head to one side, "Who's Laurent?"

I bit my inner cheek again, "You know. You guys saw him in the meadow. You were all there, and you kept him from killing me." He had to remember the creep. It was impossible to forget the way he looked. I let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, the black-haired leech?" he grinned, a tight, fierce smile, "Was that his name?"

I shuddered and shook my head, "What were you guys thinking?" I whispered, "He could have killed you. All of you and - "

Another laugh interrupted me, "Eliza, one lone vampire isn't much of a problem for a pack as big as ours. It was so easy, it was hardly even fun!"

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't dare hope that I had one less vampire to deal with, "What was so easy?"

" _Killing_ that **bloodsucker** who was going to kill you. Now, I don't count that towards the whole murder thing," he added quickly, "Vampires don't count as people."

I could only mouth the words, "You _really_ killed Laurent?" Hope fluttered in my chest.

He nodded and preened. "Well, it was a group effort," he qualified.

"Laurent is dead?" I whispered and felt my shoulders sag in relief. One down, another one to go.

His expression changed, "You're not upset about that, are you? He was going to kill you. You know that, right?"

I waved away his concern and rolled my eyes, "I know that. I'm not upset - I'm..." I had to sit down. I stumbled back a step until I felt the driftwood against my calves, and then easily sank down onto it, "He's dead. He's not coming back for me. I'm safe from him. We're safe from him." Now I only had to worry about Victoria. The more dangerous one of the duo.

Jacob took a seat beside me and pouted, "You're not mad, are you? He wasn't one of your friends or anything, right? You don't make friends with vampires anymore, right?" Did he mean the Cullens? They were mostly human now, though. They shouldn't count.

I snorted out a laugh, "No, why would I ever be friends with him? No. I'm just so relieved. I've been waiting for him or Victoria to kill me every night. Jacob, I slept with a _fucking gun_ under my pillow. I have bought so much holy water, it's not even funny. But how? He was a vampire. How in the world did you kill him?"

He sat down next to me and put one big arm around me comfortingly, "That explains the shooting lessons, and also holy water is a good safety precaution. As for how, it's what we're made for. We're strong enough to do it. I wish you would've told me that you were afraid. Of _what_ you were afraid of because you didn't need to be. Wait. Who's Victoria?"

"Wait. I thought you knew. Last night, you said it wasn't safe for you to be in my room. I thought you meant that a _Victoria_ might be coming. You know. Victoria the **vampire**. Isn't that what you were talking about?" I raised my brow at him.

He looked confused for a minute before he ducked his head, "No, that's not what I meant." He let his arms drop and he leaned back as he stared up at the sky. Why wasn't he worried about her? She was pretty dangerous and crazy from what I had gathered.

A deep frown crumpled my face, "Then why didn't you think it was safe for you there?" That made no sense. None whatsoever.

He looked at me with guilt-ridden eyes, "I was thinking of your safety. Not so much mine."

"What do you mean?" I frowned and poked his shoulder.

He looked down and kicked a nearby rock, "There's more than one reason as to why I'm not supposed to be around you. It's not _safe_ for you. If I get _too_ mad or _too_ upset then I start shaking and I could accidentally morph and hurt you. You'd get hurt and it'd be all my fault."

I thought back to all the times when he shook like a crazy. I hummed quietly, "So you were really mad before when you were shaking? Morphing kind of mad?"

"Yeah," guilt riddled his face, "That was pretty stupid of me. I swore I wasn't going to get angry, no matter what you said to me. I just got so upset at the thought that I was going to lose you just like Rachel and Rebecca. Or worse like mom."

"I'd never do that to you. I'd never just pack up and leave you forever because I wanted couldn't handle being here. I can't say much for death, but I know that you wouldn't put me in a position where you could accidentally kill me," I whispered. I decided that we needed a lighter conversation. Something related, but not so doom and gloom. I pulled on a slight smile, "So how do you morph into a wolf? Like how do your cells undergo the transformation?"

He rolled his eyes, "I consider us more like werewolves than shape shifters sometimes, but I'm not exactly sure _how_ we morph to that degree anyways. Back to what we were talking about earlier, me and the guys are gonna take care of this. We won't let anything happen to you, your dad, or anyone else. I promise. Now who's this Victoria vampire? We thought there were only two of them. Is she another one?"

I shook my head, "No. The other vampire must be Victoria."

He raised his brow, "Okay? We thought she might've been his mate since their kind usually travel as couple. I personally thought that she would want to fight us, but she just keeps running away and then coming back again. She's always dancing around the edges of the boarders, like she's testing our defenses, looking for a way in so it's harder to track her. We can't figure out where she wants to go? Sam thinks she's trying to separate us, so she'll have a better chance at tearing us into dog food."

My stomach **rolled** like I had fallen off the edge of a small hill and my vision tunneled. I shook my head and didn't hear the rest of his explanation as I inwardly reeled. This was _my_ fault. Victoria really was here looking for me, killing strangers in the woods. The woods where my dad was searching. I folded over and let my head fall in between my knees. Fuck. Oh shit. What was I going to do now?

Jacob rubbed my back and yelped, "Eliza! What's wrong?"

"It's my fault that Victoria's here," I gasped out as I whimpered. I – I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to _fix_ this. I felt Jacob pull me up from my slump. I looked at him, dread coloring my face.

"What?" Jacob asked and rubbed my shoulder, "Eliza?"

"She wasn't Laurent's mate," I moaned into my hands.

"Eliza, what can I do to help? Tell me what to do," he demanded, frantic.

"I'm not sick. I'm just terrified," I explained in a whisper as I dragged my fingers against my scalp.

Jacob patted my back, "Scared of this Victoria?"

I nodded and shuddered, "That's a true understatement."

He hummed, "Victoria the red-haired leech?"

I bit my lower lip and murmured, "Yep. That's the one."

He frowned, "How do you know she wasn't his mate?"

"Laurent told me James was her mate," I explained, automatically rubbing my scar. Fuck. Just. Argh.

He stared intently into my eyes, "Did he tell you anything else, Eliza? This is important. Do you know what she wants?"

"Of course," I whispered, "She wants to kill **_me_**."

His eyes widened and then narrowed into slits. "Why?" he demanded.

"Edward and the others killed James when he was hunting me," I muttered. I let out a bitter laugh, "When I didn't die too, I guess she got pissed off. Laurent had said she wanted to finish what James had started. That it would only be right." I left out the whole Higginbotham thing. I didn't feel like Jacob, or anyone else, really needed to know about that right now. It was just one more complication, in my opinion.

"This is important," he stated, his face all business now, "This is exactly what we needed to know. We've got to tell the others right away."

He stood up and pulled me onto my feet. I shakily stood and sighed. He worriedly glanced at me and I tugged on a strained smile, "I'm okay."

He nodded and motioned for me to lead the way, "Let's go." We walked back towards the truck. I shivered against the cold breeze despite the sunshine that shone down on us now and again. I crossed my arms and rubbed my shoulders. I should've put on more layers today.

"Where are we going?" I asked while we shuffled towards my truck.

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted, "I'll call a meeting. Hey, can wait here for just a minute?"

I nodded and warily looked around us, "Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be right back," he promised before he turned and sprinted through the parking lot, across the road, and into the bordering forest. He vanished into the trees blending in like a dryad.

I dragged myself into the cab of my truck, and mashed the locks down at once. I bit my inner cheek and lost myself in my thoughts. It was just luck that Victoria hadn't found me yet. Well, luck and five giant shape shifting wolves. I exhaled out a deep breath. I had to stay calm. Everything was going to be _fine_. Jacob would be _fine_. Embry, Quil, my dad, my friends, and everyone else would be _fine_. It would all be okay. No matter how many times I repeated that mantra in my head, I found that it was still hard to believe. I could imagine Victoria in my head, her face wild, her hair like flames, deadly, and indestructible. Why couldn't she just **_die_**?

He said they were keeping a special eye on my dad, but could I really trust them to keep him safe? As safe as those fucking hikers? How could I trust them to do that when there was so many missing people? None of us were really safe. I felt like I might throw up at that thought.

A sharp rap on the truck's window made me yelp in terror, but it was just Jacob. I unlocked the door with trembling, nimble fingers.

"Scared?" he asked as he climbed in.

I made a face, shrugged, and buckled myself in before I started up the truck. Warm air circulated throughout the cab of my truck slowing my shivers and warming my bones.

Jacob happily put on his seat belt and patted my shoulder, "Don't be. We'll take care of you and uncle Charlie. I promise."

I frowned, nodded, and curiously looked at his dirt covered clothes, "Where did you go off to just now?"

He pursed his lips, and said nothing. I supposed that it was just another secret of his. I was getting tired of all the secrets at this point, having them and keeping them, if I was being honest. I glanced at him and frowned, "What? _Another_ secret?"

He pouted, "Not really. It's kind of weird, though. I don't want to freak you out."

"At this point, I'm used to weird," I hollowly laughed.

Jacob grinned back easily, "Guess you'd have to be. Okay. See, when we're wolves, we can hear each other."

My eyebrows pulled down in confusion, "Like dog hearing, right?"

"No, not like that. I mean we do have heightened hearing, but that's not it," he went on. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "It's more like we can hear each other's thoughts, like a hive mind, when we're wolves. No matter how far away from each other we are, we can still communicate. It really helps when we hunt, but it's a big pain otherwise. It's embarrassing having no secrets like that. It's kind of freaky seeing and feeling everything from someone else's mind."

I raised a brow at him as I started to drive out of my parking spot, "Is that what you meant last night, when you said you would tell them you'd seen me, even though you didn't want to?"

He smiled, "Yep. Still as quick as ever."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smile just a little bit, "Thanks." This was the Jacob that I was used to. The Jacob that I had spent every summer with while we grew up.

He stretched out and chuckled, "You're also very good with weird. I thought that part would bother you."

I stared hard at the road ahead of us and sighed, "You're not the first person I've known who wasn't human, so it doesn't seem so weird to me. Believe me there are weirder things out there."

His eyebrows rose as he hummed, "Really? Oh. Are you talking about bloodsuckers?"

I shrugged and nodded, "Yeah. Sure. Let's go with that." I was more talking about how my neighbor back in Phoenix was a witch, and how she managed to hide it for all these years. Or all the other creatures that seemed to roam on the Duckluck forums.

Jacob nodded, "I thought so. I thought they were just a myth before all of this."

I shook my head and dryly said, "Is anything _just_ a myth anymore? This world is a lot more magical and dangerous than people may think." I thought back to how I fought James back in Phoenix, and all the blessed weapons that I was able to procure from the Duckluck website.

He shrugged, "Guess so. Alright, head down _that_ road, please. We're going to meet Sam and the others at the place we went to practice shooting."

I turned and went down the dirt road that we had gone down so many times before. I glanced at him for a moment before I asked, "So, I'm assuming that earlier you just turned into a wolf to talk to Sam?"

Jacob nodded and an embarrassed flush spread across his cheeks, "I kept it real short. I tried not to think about you so they wouldn't know what was going on. I was afraid Sam would tell me I couldn't bring you."

I rolled my eyes and clucked my tongue, "Yeah, like that wouldn't have stopped me from coming along."

"Well, it would have **stopped** _me_ ," Jacob muttered morosely, "Sam's the head of the pack. He's the Alpha so when he tells us to do something, or **not** to do something we can't just ignore him. We're physically forced to do as he says. It kind of royally sucks sometimes, not having any control."

"Damn straight," I muttered. It was _never_ fair to have someone pull your strings like a puppet. No one should be that controlling.

"I know, right? It's kind of one of the downsides to this whole wolf thing," he stated and huffed.

"Huh," I nodded as we sped along the dirt road.

Jacob leaned back into his seat and snorted, "Yeah, there's a load of stuff like that. You know, wolf things. I'm still learning them all. I can't imagine what it was like for Sam since he had to deal with this alone. It sucks bad enough to go through it with a whole pack for support."

"Sam was alone?" I raised a brow to that proclamation.

"Yeah," his voice lowered, "When I changed, it was the most horrible terrifying thing I had ever been through. It was worse than anything I could have imagined, but I at least I wasn't alone. I had voices there, in my head, telling me what had happened and what I had to do. That kept me from losing my mind, I think. Sam had no help." He shook his head sadly.

This was going to take some adjusting. When he explained it like that, it was hard not to feel compassion for Sam. God damn it. I clenched the steering wheel as we drove onwards.

"Will they be angry that I'm with you?" I warily asked. I really didn't want to get tackled, or worse, by giant dogs.

He made a face and shrugged, "Probably."

"Maybe I shouldn't - " I shot him a disapproving look. If it was safer to come at a different time, I guess I could...

"No, it's okay," he assured me, cutting off my line of thinking. He shot me a mischievous look, "You know a ton of things that could help us. It's not like you're just some ignorant human. You're different..."

I inwardly frowned and tuned my godbrother out. I was _different_ , but was I _totally_ human? Did humans normally change vampires back into humans once they were bit? What was I? Was it even important right now to wonder that though? I shook my head. I needed to focus. The important thing right now was to try and kill, and therefore stop, Victoria. I could worry about whether or not I was fully human later. I focused back in on what Jacob was saying, but I think I missed a chunk of it.

"...Like the stuff about bloodsuckers with power," he continued, oblivious to my turbulent thoughts. I nodded absently as he carried on, "That's the kind of thing we need to know about. It really sucks that those stories are true. It makes everything more complicated. Hey, do you think Victoria has any supernatural powers?"

I let out a tired sigh, "Evasion, I think."

"Damn, it's going to be hard to catch her then," he murmured. I silently agreed with him. It would be hard to catch her, but we would _have_ to. If we didn't, more people would just die.

We finally made it to our destination and I let my truck slow down to a halt. I turned to my godbrother and asked, "This good?"

He nodded and unbuckled himself, "Sure, sure."

I pulled my seat belt off of me and pocketed my car keys before we both went out of my truck. Jacob sucked in a sharp breath, "They're here. Let's go."

"Are you sure?" I murmured while we walked away from my truck.

He grinned and let out a barking laugh, "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"

"Ha ha," I rolled my eyes. My hands trembled. I was kind of nervous actually, if I was being honest.

Jacob took my hand and squeezed it as we walked towards where they were, "Here we go."


	31. Chapter 31

**AN:** Thank you to all those that put this story on their favorite's list and followed this story. You are all awesome!

 **dwarfprince:** Thank you very much for your review! I really like her too. I've tried to make sure that her reactions to everything make more sense with her personality. c:

 **Hannah:** Thank you for your awesome reviews. c:

 **ginkgo00:** I'm glad that you really enjoy my retelling of this story. Thank you for pointing that out. I have gone back and looked it over to try and spot those errors. If I have missed some, please tell me. In this universe Mike has two moms instead of a mom and a dad. I made sure to change not only how Bella ended up, but also everyone else since the universe doesn't revolve around just her.

You're review seriously tickled me pink. Thank you. c:

 **31\. Man's best friend?**

My eyes scanned the forest for the other wolves. When they appeared out from between the trees, they weren't what I was expecting. I had gotten the image of the wolves stuck in my head, but these were just four really big half-naked guys. They reminded me of brothers, quadruplets, really. Something about the way they moved, almost in synchronization, to stand across the road from us made a sliver of fear shiver up my spine. They started out curious and cautious, but when they caught sight of me there, half-hidden beside Jacob, they all became enraged in the same second.

Sam was still the biggest, though Jacob was getting close to catching up with him. "What have you done, Jacob?" he demanded. His face looked thunderous and the confidence that I had earlier withered away like a limp flower.

I felt my phone buzz against my thigh. The noise of its vibration caught Embry's eye. I would have to deal with that text or call later. I didn't want to do anything else to offend them. He frowned at me.

Paul thrust past Sam and spoke before Jacob could defend himself. Embry took a step back and I felt my heart clench. Where was my goofy loyal friend?

"Why can't you just follow the rules, Jacob?" Paul shouted as he threw his arms out into the air. He got into his face and pushed him back, "What the hell are you thinking? Is she more important than everything? More important the whole tribe? Than the people getting killed?"

"She can help and she's _my_ family too," Jacob stated quietly as he grit his teeth.

"Help!" Paul let out a dry sarcastic laugh. His arms begin to quiver. "Oh, that's likely! I'm sure all a hundred and twenty pounds of her could take down a bloodsucker! She'll just get in the way."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Jacob shouted back. I glared at Paul and felt the gun I had slung on. No help, huh? I growled inwardly. I'd like to see him take on a vampire as a human.

A shudder rippled through the other boy, and I saw his shoulders start to almost pop out of his skin.

"Paul! Relax!" Sam hollered out. His tone was commanding and echoed throughout the clearing.

Paul shook his head back and forth, but not so much in defiance. His shuddering had slowed and his breathing had started to even out.

"Jeez, Paul," Jared muttered, "Get a grip."

I snorted out a laugh. I couldn't help it. Jared smiled at me and Embry tilted his head to the side. Jacob slapped his face with his hand and sighed. I really hoped that I didn't make this worse.

Paul twisted his head toward Jared, his lips curling back into a dark scowl. He then whipped his his glare in my direction. Jacob took a step forward and put himself in front of me.

Paul's face reddened and he roared out, "That's right, protect her!" He shuddered again, convulsed for a moment and then heaved. He threw his head back, a real growl tearing from between his teeth. His bones stretched his skin out to the point where I swore that it would tear. I stared at him horrified. Fuck.

"Paul!" Sam and Jacob shouted together. I took a step back and sucked in a breath. God damn it. Why did I bother to get up today?

Paul fell forward as he vibrated violently. Halfway to the ground his skin ripped into pieces and he seemed to just explode. I dry heaved and silently thanked my past self for not eating.

Dark silver fur flew out from what once was Paul before condensing into a shape five-times his size, a massive, crouched wolf, ready to spring. The wolf's muzzle wrinkled back over his teeth, and another growl rolled through his colossal chest. His dark, enraged eyes focused on me. I pulled out my gun from my hiding place. I didn't care if under that fur was Paul. If he tried to attack him, I would shoot his fucking foot.

In that same moment, Jacob ran towards Paul. I bit my lower lip hard and felt a bit of blood leak into my mouth. I let out a silent 'mother fucker' and aimed for where Paul was bounding. I didn't want to kill Paul, maybe maim him at this point, but most just stop him from killing me or Jacob.

While Jacob sprinted towards the wolf, a long tremor shivered down his spine. He leaped forward, diving headfirst into the empty air. A sharp tearing sound echoed through the clearing as Jacob exploded too. He burst out of his skin - shreds of black and white cloth along with brown skin blasted up into the air. It happened so quickly that if I'd blinked, I'd have missed the entire transformation. One second it was Jacob diving into the air, and then it was the gigantic, russet brown wolf charging the other wolf. He met the other wolf's attack head-on. Their angry snarls echoed like thunder off the trees.

I shot my gun into the air and the air stilled around us. Paul and Jacob continued to but heads, but I had gotten the attention of the others. A seagull fell from the sky and I looked on horrified. Fuck. I accidentally killed a bird. I should've just tried to shoot Paul's foot.

Sam let out a strained sigh. "Stay where you are, Eliza, and _please_ put your gun away," Sam ordered. It was hard to hear him over the roar of the fighting wolves. They snapped and growled at each other, their sharp teeth flashing toward each other's throats. Jacob seemed to have the upper hand since he was visibly bigger than Paul. He rammed his shoulder against the Paul's wolf body again and again, and managed to knock him back toward the trees.

I glared at Sam, but did as he asked. I didn't want to accidentally shoot someone or something by accident again, but I'm glad that he looked wary for a moment. I was willing and able to fight back if I needed to. Fear be dammed.

"Take her to Emily's," Sam shouted out toward the other boys, who were watching the conflict with rapt expressions. Jacob had successfully shoved Paul off the road, and they both disappeared into the forest as their loud snarls echoed behind them. Sam ran after them and kicked off his shoes along the way. As he darted into the trees he quivered from head to toe. The growling and snapping was fading into the distance. Suddenly, the sound cut off and it was eerily quiet.

Embry started laughing. I turned to stare at him. Did he really find all of this funny? What kind of shit did he see that made that entire scene funny? I scowled at him and let my hands fall onto my hips.

He seemed to be laughing at my expression now. Embry beamed at me, "Well, there's something you don't see every day." A couple snickers escaped his mouth as they walked towards me.

"I do," Jared grumbled, "Every single day." He shook his head.

"Aw, Paul doesn't lose his temper every day," Embry disagreed, grinning like a loon, "Maybe two out of every three days."

Jared stopped to pick something white up off of the ground. He held it up toward Embry; it dangled in limp strips from his hand.

"Totally shredded," Jared sighed and shook his head, "Billy said this was the last pair he could afford - guess Jacob's going barefoot now." I frowned. Jacob could always ask me or my dad for shoes. Uncle Billy wouldn't mind. He had done something like that for me when my dad was up shit creek for money.

"This one survived," Embry chortled as he held up a lone white sneaker. "Jake can hop," he added happily.

Jared rolled his eyes as he started collecting various pieces of fabric from the dirt. He threw Embry a dry smile, "Get Sam's shoes, will you? All the rest of this is headed for the trash."

Embry grabbed the shoes and then jogged into the trees where Sam had disappeared. He was back in a few seconds with a pair of cut-off jeans draped over his arm. Jared gathered the torn remnants of Jacob's and Paul's clothes and wadded them into a ball. Suddenly, he seemed to remember me.

He looked at me carefully and seemed to be searching for something. He made a face, "Hey Eliza, you aren't going to faint or puke or anything, right?"

"No," I shook my head slowly.

Embry walked over to stand beside me and gently shoved my shoulder, "Lizzy here is the right sort of person for this, although..." he shot me a worried look, "You don't look so good. Maybe you should sit down."

"No, I'm good," I mumbled. I took in deep steady breaths to calm my whirring thoughts and thudding heart.

"Jake should have warned us," Embry complained and rolled his eyes. It was nice having Embry back, but this...this was just...God damn.

"He shouldn't have brought his godsister into this. We couldn't even bring our _**own**_ families into this. Jeeze. What did he expect?" Jared snorted and pulled everything into a plastic bag from his jean pocket.

"Well, the wolf's out of the bag now," Embry sighed and scowled at the tree line, "Way to go, Jake."

I glared at them both. Why were they taking this so lightly? "Aren't you worried about them at all?" I demanded, frustration leaked into my voice. Paul always had a temper, making him into a giant wolf probably just exacerbated that. I hoped that my little godbrother would come out of this unscathed.

Embry blinked once in surprise, "Worried? Why?"

I let out an exasperated breath, "They could hurt each other!"

Embry and Jared guffawed. I glared harder at them. If looks could kill, they would've been vaporized by now.

"I hope Paul gets a mouthful of him," Jared nonchalantly stated and added, "It'd teach him a lesson."

I blanched at that thought. I really should've shot Paul's foot instead of that poor bird.

"Yeah, right!" Embry disagreed and rolled his eyes, "Did you _not_ see Jake? Even _Sam_ couldn't have phased on the fly like that. When he saw Paul losing it, it took him like what, half a second to attack? The boy's got a gift." He let out an appreciative whistle.

Jared shook his head and snorted, "Paul's been fighting longer. I'll bet you ten bucks he leaves a mark."

"You're on. Jake's a natural. Paul doesn't have a prayer," Embry ruthlessly grinned. I hoped that he was right. They shook hands, after they each spat into their own hand.

My stomach gurgled and Embry let out a loud laugh. I flushed and coughed into my hand. I was kind of hungry at this point. Embry looked down at me and let his arm fall around my shoulder, "Let's go see Emily. You know she'll have food waiting. Mind giving us a ride?"

"No problem," I muttered as I shook my head. I was feeling kind of nauseated at this point. Perhaps going without food this long wasn't such a smart idea.

Jared raised a brow, "Maybe you'd better drive, Embry. She looks like she might hurl."

I sighed. At this point I was kind of hungry, angry, and nauseated so I nodded in silent agreement.

"Good idea. Where are the keys, Lizzy?" Embry asked, expectantly looking at me.

I pulled out my keys and placed them into his hand, "Here."

Embry opened the passenger-side door. "In you go," he chirped as he hauled me up from the ground with one hand and stuffed me into my seat. He appraised the available space. "You'll have to ride in the back," he told Jared.

I blinked repeatedly. When did Embry get so freaking strong? It must've been the whole shape shifting wolf thing.

Jared hopped into the back and I heard him snort, "That's fine. I got a weak stomach. I don't want to be in there when she blows."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. Jared and I were acquaintances at best, but I resented how weak he thought I was.

Embry hopped into the driver's seat and shook his head, "Nah, Lizzy's tougher than that."

"Five bucks?" Jared asked as he poked his head through my trunk's back window.

Embry cackled and shot me a conspiring wink, "Done. I feel guilty, taking your money like this." He started the engine drove us back towards the village. I would certainly not barf and even if I felt like it, I wouldn't just to spite Jared.

He glanced at me after a moment or so of silence. His eyes were curious when he asked, "Hey, how did Jake get around the injunction anyway?"

"The...what?" I raised a brow at his question. What did he mean?

Embry pursed his lips, "Er, the order. You know, to not spill the beans. How did he tell you about this?"

"Oh, that," I murmured. I recalled how Jacob kept trying to choke out the truth to me last night. I shook my head and sighed, "He didn't. I just guessed right."

He barked out a laugh and looked surprised, "Huh. I guess that would work."

"Where are we going?" I squinted at the road we were taking. It was away from the normal roads that I usually took down in La Push.

"Emily's house. She's Sam's girlfriend. Actually, fiancee now. They'll meet us back there after Sam gives it to them for what just happened. After Paul and Jake scrounge up some new clothes, if Paul even has any left," Jared poked his head through my back window and grinned at me.

I frowned and nodded before I glanced back at Embry, "Does Emily know about ya know?"

Embry smiled softly, "Yeah. Oh hey, don't stare at her when you meet her. That bugs Sam."

I raised a brow at him and made a face, "Why would I stare? I'm not rude."

He let out a deep sigh and looked vaguely uncomfortable, "Like you saw just now, hanging out around werewolves has its risks..." I inwardly rolled my eyes. I still didn't think they were werewolves, but if they wanted to call themselves that I wouldn't stand in their way.

He changed the subject quickly, "Hey, are you okay about the whole thing with the black-haired bloodsucker in the meadow? It didn't look like he was a friend of yours, but you never know. You were friends with the Cullens before they turned human," Embry shrugged.

"No, he wasn't my friend," I spat. Laurent ever being my friend? Really, that was a more ridiculous thought than anything I could think of.

He hummed, "That's good. We didn't want to break the treaty."

I nodded, "Why would killing Laurent break the treaty?"

"Laurent," he repeated and snorted out a laugh, "Well, we were technically on Cullen turf. We're not allowed to attack any of the Cullens off our land, that is unless they break the treaty first. We weren't sure if the black-haired one was a relative of theirs or something."

"Huh. Well I'm glad you didn't wait to find out," I murmured. There was a lot more to this than I had initially thought. I may have to get in contact with them again to figure this stuff out. I slipped out my phone and noticed two missed calls and a couple text messages. Two were from Alice, one from Edward and one from my mom. I bit my lip and wondered what they wanted.

"Our pleasure," he intoned, he sounded like he meant that in a literal sense though.

Embry drove past the easternmost house on the highway before turning off onto a narrow dirt road. "Your truck is slow," he noted sourly.

I rolled my eyes and snorted, "Sorry." He shot me a sarcastic smile and let it drop. He shouldn't really complain when it was the only mode of transportation we had. I glanced back at my phone before pocketing it. I could check on the calls and texts later.

At the end of the lane lay a tiny blue house with a small porch and a tall chimney. A narrow window hung beside a weathered yellow door, but the window box under it overflowed with bright orange and yellow marigolds. The grass around the house was green and I could see that there was a blooming garden in the greenhouse beside it. A roughed up looking Jeep was parked on the dirt driveway on the other side of the house.

Embry opened the truck door and inhaled once we parked behind the Jeep, "Mmm, Emily's cooking."

Jared jumped out of the back of the truck and headed for the door, but Embry stopped him with one hand on his chest. He looked at me meaningfully, and cleared his throat.

He rolled his eyes and frowned, "I don't have my wallet on me."

Embry grinned and chirped as he pulled his hand away, "That's okay. I won't forget."

They climbed up the porch steps and entered the house without knocking. I followed quietly after them. The front room, like my godfather's house, was mostly a kitchen. A young woman with copper skin and long straight black hair stood at the counter by the sink. She appeared shorter than me and wore an apron around her waist. She popped big muffins out of a tin and placed them on a paper plate. From behind she looked exactly like my aunt Sarah. I wondered if Jacob choked up when he first spotted her from behind. I shook my head and cleared my throat before scrubbing my eyes.

"You guys hungry?" she asked as she turned to face us full on, a smile on half of her face. The right side of her face was scarred from her hairline to her chin by three thick, red lines, livid in color even though they appeared to be long healed. One line pulled down the corner of her dark, almond-shaped right eye, another twisted the right side of her mouth into a permanent grimace.

I smiled at her and stared at the muffins that she presented us. They smelled wonderful, like fresh blueberries. I idly wondered if she grew blueberries in her greenhouse.

"Oh," Emily gazed at me, surprise coloring her face, "Who's this?"

I shot her a sheepish smile as I took one of her proffered muffins. I melted as I bit into my muffin hungrily. I happily munched on my food, finally easing my hunger pangs. I really should've eaten something today. This muffin was delicious.

"Eliza Kites," Jared told her, before he grabbed a muffin. He bit into it and rolled his eyes, "Who else?"

"Leave it to Jacob to find a way around," Emily murmured. She stared at me, and tilted her head, "So you're Jacob's godsister."

I blinked repeatedly before finishing off my muffin, "Yep. Are you the wolf girl?"

She laughed, as did Embry and Jared. The left half of her face warmed, "I guess I am." She turned to Jared and asked, "Where's Sam?"

Jared swallowed the last of his muffin and sighed, "Eliza, 'surprised' Paul this morning."

Emily rolled her good eye, "Jesus, not Paul again." She sighed, "Do you think they'll be long? I was just about to start the eggs."

"Don't worry," Embry told her. He shot her a roguish look, "If they're late, we won't let anything go to waste."

Emily chuckled, and then opened the refrigerator. "No doubt," she agreed, "Eliza, are you hungry? I can make you a plate of bacon and eggs too."

"Yes please," I smiled and happily took a seat at the kitchen island while Embry picked up a third muffin and shoved it into his mouth whole.

"Save some for the others," Emily chastised and hit him on the head with a wooden spoon.

"Pig," Jared commented and rolled his eyes.

I leaned against the kitchen island and silently watched the three of them banter like a family. Emily's kitchen felt like a friendly place. It had bright with white cupboards, pale wooden floorboards, and bright oak counter tops. On the round table nearby, a white china pitcher overflowed with wildflowers. I felt oddly at ease here. I didn't know what to make of this feeling.

Emily mixed up a huge batch of several dozen eggs in a big yellow ceramic bowl while bacon sizzled on the stove. The sleeves of her purple shirt were rolled up, and I could see that her scars extended all the way down her arm to the back of her right hand. Hanging out with wolves truly did have its risks. Enough said.

The front door flung open and Sam stepped through. He paused at the doorway and zoned in on Emily. His face lit up as he strode across the room towards her. "Emily," he heartily murmured. There was so much love saturated his voice that I felt embarrassed, intrusive, when I saw him take her face into his wide hands. He leaned down and kissed the dark scars on her right cheek before he gently kissed her lips. I grinned inwardly. As embarrassing as it was, it was nice to see people so in love.

"Hey, none of that," Jared whined and pouted, "I'm eating here."

"Then shut up and eat," Sam suggested and continued kissing Emily despite his protest.

"Ugh," Embry groaned and made a face at the two of them.

Jacob and Paul strode through the door laughing together. I was both surprised and glad. They both looked marginally alright. I let out a sigh of relief. While I watched, Paul punched Jacob on the shoulder and Jacob went for a kidney jab in return. They laughed again. They both appeared to still be friends even after their earlier fight. Jacob scanned the room and his eyes stopped when he found me sitting amongst the others at the kitchen island.

"Hey, short stuff," he cheerfully intoned as he grabbed two muffins while he passed the table and came to stand beside me. "Sorry about before," he muttered under his breath. He worriedly searched my face, "You holding up okay?'"

"I'm okay. Emily makes really good muffins," I shot him a crooked smile. His eyes warmed as he shoved an entire muffin into his maw.

"Oh, man!" Jared wailed. I looked up, and saw that he and Embry were examining a fading pink line on Paul's forearm. Embry grinned triumphantly.

"Fifteen dollars," he crowed and danced around. Jared scowled at him and shook his head.

"Did you do that?" I raised a brow and whispered to Jacob.

Jacob snorted out a laugh, "I barely touched him. Besides, there won't even be a scar by sundown."

"By sundown?" I glanced at the scar on Paul's arm. It looked weeks old. Were they like Wolverine now? What kind of wolves were they? This seemed to be some sort of hack, if you asked me.

"It's a wolf thing," Jacob whispered. I snorted and kept my opinions to myself, trying to not look too amused by his bullshit.

"Hey, guys," Sam called out pausing all the conversations going on in the small room. Emily continued scraping the egg mixture around on her big skillet at the stove, and Sam touched the small of her back. It was probably an unconscious gesture. He cleared his throat, "Jacob has information for us."

"I know what the redhead leech wants," Jacob directed his words toward Jared and Embry. I guess he already told Paul while they were wolves. He made a face at them and continued on, "That's what I was trying to tell you before I was rudely interrupted." He kicked the leg of the chair that Paul had settled into. Paul rolled his eyes at Jacob and crossed his arms.

"And?" Jared looked at Jacob expectantly while Embry leaned in. I bit my lip. Were they going to blame me for Victoria's appearance? I still wasn't too sure if it was all really my fault. I kept shoving those thoughts aside. It hurt to much to think about.

Jacob's expression hardened and he seriously stated, "She's trying to avenge her mate, but it wasn't the leech we killed. The Cullens got her mate last year, and she's after Eliza now to finish off what he tried to do."

I still shivered at that reminder. Jared, Embry, and Emily stared at me with open-mouthed surprise.

"She's just a girl," Embry protested and jiggled his leg. Anxiety pulled at his features.

Jacob rolled his eyes and deeply sighed, "I didn't say it made any sense. In any case, that's why the bloodsucker's been trying to get past us. She's been heading for Forks."

They continued to stare at me, mouths still hanging open, for a long moment. I ducked my head when the silence just seemed too much.

"Excellent," Jared finally said. He critically gazed at me before a smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. His grin seemed a little too wide for his face, "We've got bait."

With stunning speed Jacob yanked a can opener from the counter and launched it at Jared's head. Jared's hand flicked up and he snagged the tool just before it hit his face.

Jacob glowered, "Eliza is _not_ bait. You don't see me offering up your family members as bait."

"You know what I mean," Jared shrugged unabashed. I narrowed my eyes at him. I refused to be bait or a martyr. I tried that last time, no thank you.

"Alright, so we'll be changing our patterns," Sam stated as he ignored their squabble. He pursed his lips, "We'll try leaving a couple holes and see if she takes _that_ bait. We'll have to split up and I don't like that, but if she's really after Eliza then she probably won't try to take advantage of our divided numbers."

"Quil has got to be close to joining us," Embry murmured. A pained smile pulled on his lips, "Then we'll be able to split evenly."

I frowned. I didn't really know how to feel about Quil, of all people, turning into a giant wolf. My chest churned. I felt helpless since even if I wanted to stop Quil from changing...I didn't have any sort of power to do so. Everyone else looked down. I glanced at Jacob's face and saw that it was hopeless, just like it had been yesterday afternoon. No matter how comfortable they seemed to be with their fate, none of them really wanted the same fate for their friend.

"Well, we won't count on that," Sam murmured in a low voice. He took in a deep breath and sighed, "Paul, Jared, and Embry; you three can take the outer perimeter. Jacob, you and I will take the inner perimeter. We'll collapse in when we've got her trapped."

They all nodded in agreement. When I glanced around I noticed that Emily didn't particularly like Sam's plan. It was probably because her fiancee would be in the smaller grouping. I bit my lip. They'd be fine. Right?

Sam caught my eye and gave me a small smile, "Jacob thinks it would be best if you spent as much time as possible here in La Push. The leech won't know where to find you so easily, just in case." It was almost the same advice my mother had given me. I really don't know how my dad would feel about that though.

"What about my dad?" I frowned. Even thought spring break was literally tomorrow, I doubted that my dad would be okay with me spending every day down here and not with him. Even if it really would've been safer.

"Spring break is gonna start up tomorrow," Jacob commented, "I think my dad and Harry can manage to keep uncle Charlie down here when he's not at work. He'll be especially more inclined to if you're here, short stuff. This way, both of your are safe. Two birds, one stone."

I hummed and ate the last of my bacon while I considered his plan. It did make sense, but...

"Wait," Sam stated and held up one hand up interrupting my thoughts. His glance flickered to Emily and then back to me. He let out a deep breath, "That's what _Jacob_ thinks is best, but _you_ need to decide for yourself. If you choose to stay with us, I can't make any guarantees about your safety."

"I won't hurt her," Jacob mumbled and looked down at his gigantic hands.

Sam continued on as if he hadn't heard him speak, "If there was somewhere else you felt safe..."

I bit my inner cheek. There really wasn't anywhere else I could go. I recalled my conversation with my mom and her message about staying at La Push. "I don't want to lead Victoria anywhere else," I whispered and shook my head.

Sam tilted his head and looked at my face. Whatever he saw seemed to reassure him. He nodded, "That's true. It's better to have her here, where we can _end_ this."

"You'll all be careful, right?" my brows furrowed. I hoped that they wouldn't take this too lightly.

The boys burst into loud hoots of laughter. Everyone laughed at me except Emily. She met my eyes, and I could suddenly see concern, even more fierce than mine, burn in her eyes. At least she agreed with me. I shook my head. They were cocky. I sighed. Whatever.

"Food's ready," she announced closing the strategic conversation. The guys hurried over to the nearby table and devoured the buffet-sized pan of eggs and bacon that Emily placed in their midst in record time. Emily ate leaning against the kitchen island with me and watched them with affectionate eyes. Her expression clearly stated that this was her family. All in all, it wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting from a pack of shape shifting wolves.

I spent the rest of the day in La Push, the majority of it in uncle Billy's house. He left a message on my dad's cell phone and at the station. I bugged Jacob about playing with Quil on his wii, but he said that it wouldn't be a good idea. I still scowled when I recalled our conversation. Around dinnertime my dad showed up with two extra large pizzas. It was good he brought two since Jacob managed to eat one whole pizza all by himself.

My dad eyed the much-changed Jacob. He asked about the hair and Jacob shrugged and told him it was just more convenient. My dad had to grin at that since he was one of the many people who said that Jacob's long hair had made him look like a girl.

I knew that as soon as me and my dad headed home, Jacob would take off to run around as a wolf. He had done that intermittently throughout the entire day. He and his pack brothers kept up a constant watch for some sign of Victoria's return. Ever since they'd chased her away from the hot springs last night; chased her halfway to Canada according to Jacob, she had yet to make another attempt.

Jacob walked me to my truck after dinner and lingered by the window. He grinned at me and patted my shoulder, "Don't be afraid tonight." He mussed up my hair and muttered, "We'll be out there, watching. Don't sweat it, short stuff."

"I won't worry about myself," I shoved his hand away and rolled my eyes.

Jacob chuckled, "You're silly. Hunting vampires is the fun part of being a gigantic wolf. It's the best part of this whole mess."

I shook my head and threw him a wary look, "If I'm silly then you're dangerously unbalanced." I hopped into my truck and rolled down my driver side window.

Jacob waved at me and smiled, "Get some rest, munchkin. You look exhausted."

I rolled my eyes at all his short jokes and retorted, "I'll try." I wasn't really short in my own opinion. Jacob and the others were just giants. It was probably because of the whole 'I can become a giant wolf' thing.

My dad started up his police cruiser after I had gotten into my truck. I started up my engine and glanced at Jacob when he gently tapped on my door. I raised a brow at him.

"See you tomorrow," he reminded me, "Come down first thing, kay?"

I tilted my head and nodded, "Ten four." Jacob gave me a bastardized salute as me and my dad drove off. My dad followed me home in his police cruiser, but I paid scant attention to the lights in my rear view mirror. Instead, I wondered where Sam and Jared and Embry and Paul were. Were they out running in the night right now? Did Jacob join them yet?

When we got home, I hurried for the stairs. I was eager to change out of my clothes into something more comfortable and address the texts and calls I had missed, and catch up on Netflix. My dad held onto my elbow before I could reach the first step though.

"What's going on, Eliza?" he murmured, "I thought Jacob was part of a gang and you two were fighting." He searched my face and I sighed.

I pulled on a tired smile, "We made up, so we're good now."

Some of the worry slipped off his face, but he kept his hold on my elbow firm, "And the gang?"

I let out an irritated huff, "I might have been _overreacting_ and _wrong_. I officially met Sam and his fiancee, Emily, today. The seemed pretty nice. Emily made me breakfast today. " I hated admitting that I was wrong to my dad. It chafed me to no end.

His frown morphed into a soft grin, "I hadn't heard that he and Emily had made it official. That's nice. Poor girl." With the way his eyes had softened, I knew that my dad had accepted my explanation.

I bit my lower lip and queried, "Do you know what happened to her?"

He pulled off his coat and boots while he answered me, "She was mauled by a bear up north during salmon spawning season; a horrible accident. It was more than a year ago now. I heard Sam was really messed up over it."

"That's horrible," I muttered as I slowly ascended up the stairs. He shot me a small smile and patted my shoulder before heading off into the kitchen. My dad was probably going to eat some ice cream. I would've joined him, but I was far too full of pizza tonight. While I headed up the stairs I thought about what my dad said. She was 'mauled' more than a year ago. Huh. That was probably when there was only one giant wolf in La Push. I shuddered at the thought of how Sam must have felt every time he looked at Emily's face. I wouldn't be able to face myself if I managed to do that to someone I loved.

I pulled on some more comfortable clothes and pulled out my phone. I flicked through the my phone and checked on my texts and missed phone calls. Two texts from Alice, one from Edward, and one from my mom. I checked on my missed calls and found that one was also from Jessica and the other was from Alice. A deep frown pulled onto my face. I wondered what happened.

I flicked through Alice's texts:

Eliza! Where are you? I can't see you in my visions anymore!? Jasper and I decided to wait to become human since I foresaw a fight heading towards us in the near future. - 10:38 am

Eliza! Answer your damn phone or I'll call your mother! I can't see you. Also Victoria is out for your blood. You should hide somewhere safe until things cool down, although I think your house is pretty safe. I couldn't step in one foot on the property for some reason. Did you use blessed salt or something? Text and or call me back soon! Like ASAP! - 12:40 pm

I made a face. I would make sure to actually text her after this. I bit my inner cheek, she probably couldn't see me because of the barrier around La Push. From what I found, it acted as a deterrent against vampires. I don't know how Victoria kept managing to bait them _in_ La Push though.

I clicked on Edward's text and my frown deepened:

Hello my favorite relative. You should really answer your texts. Alice is getting frantic. I had to do some real fast talking to convince her not to call your mother. On a more personal note, Bree has become a missing person. If you could get your father to look into that so I don't have to become a vigilante that would be great. I've already hired a private investigator to dig up some more dirt on where she could've possibly gone. All he found was that she was probably snatched up while she was in Seattle. Try to stay away from that city, by the way.

I was glad that I was more of a homebody when I finished reading what he had written to me. Seattle would've been a fun trip, but not if people kept getting abducted. It was probably Victoria. I hoped that I could help Bree turn back into a human if she was turned into a bloodsucker. I idly wondered if the surge of disappearances meant a vampire army was coming our way. I shoved that thought aside. That was stupid. I was probably just being super paranoid.

I tapped on my mom's text and a grin blossomed on my face:

Hi sweetheart! Just to remind you, Phil and I are safe. We can communicate with this phone again since it doesn't appear that you're being traced, _again_. How do you get into these messes? Don't feel too bad though, sweetie, I was a danger magnet when I was your age too. Are you staying more in La Push? Are you eating enough? How's your dad? I love you more than a million sparkly shoes.

I decided that I could deal with my voice mail later. I quickly tapped away on my phone to reply to all my missed texts:

Alice, calm down. I'm alright. I just spent most of the day with my godfamily down in La Push. They have a kind of barrier down there, so I should be safe. That's also probably why you can't see me. I'm planning to stay down there during the duration of spring break. I should be relatively safe. Don't worry. I may or may not have used blessed salt and holy water around my dad's property and along all the entrance ways. I'm glad that it works since that means vampires that want to kill me while I'm home can't get at me. Thanks for confirming my safety precautions.

I frowned at my long text and rolled my eyes. Messages this long really should've been reserved as emails and not as text messages. I sent it away with a whoosh. I idly wondered when Alice would reply.

I tapped away on my phone to reply to Edward:

Hello to you too ancient gruncle; great uncle just in case you get confused. I answered Alice's texts, but I couldn't do that before since I was dealing with my godbrother and his friends. You guys could've told me they could morph into giant wolves. That would've been a wonderful heads up when I found out that your were a bloodsucker. I'll notify my dad. I'll also post up how she's missing on Facebook. Noted. I'm not really going anywhere, but La Push for spring break, if that makes you feel better. If you have any vampire hunting tips, since you are ancient, shoot them my way. Please and thank you!

I sent my text away and started tapping out my reply to my mom:

Hi mom, I'm not actually sure how I got into this mess at this point. That's good to know though. I'll be down in La Push for spring break and Jacob is going to try and wrangle dad to do the same. Oh! It turns out Jacob, and Embry along with other guys from La Push can morph into giant wolves. It's pretty crazy. They said that Quil might turn into one too.

I think I'm eating enough and dad's okay. I love you more than a million apple cinnamon scones.

I sent my text off to my mother and checked my voicemail. Alice's message was just her freaking about not seeing me in her visions so I just deleted it since I had already replied to her. Jessica's message was about informing about Bree becoming a missing person. I deleted that message too since I already knew about it.

I got on my laptop and finished off my homework, posted up how Bree was missing on Facebook and binge watched The Mindy Project on Netflix. That night, I fell asleep sitting up. I dreamed about giant wolves, invisible in the night, guarding me from danger. I had hoped that I would dream about hot doctors, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. When I dreamed, I stood in the forest again, but I didn't wander. I held Emily's scarred hand as we faced into the shadows and waited anxiously for our loved ones to come home. I found that it was far more pleasant than my previous nightmares. I wondered if that meant my luck was finally going to get better.


	32. Chapter 32

**AN:** I don't know if you all believe me, but I'm very appreciative and happy that you've put my story on your favorite's list and or followed it. This story has actually hit four thousand views and I feel tickled pink. You guys are amazing and I hope you all have an awesome day. Thank you.

 **Len Stormcrow:** Thank you for your fantastic reviews. Sleeping is more of a restorative process while resting your eyes is just taking a break from having your eyes open. c:

 **hateme101:** Thank you for your review. This story is mostly a retelling, but you do make a good point. It'll be less like the original story as the chapters progress onwards, at least that's what I'm hoping for. I wanted this story to be a gradual change, unlike the fast changes in Stephanie Myer's original world.

 **32\. Bonding**

It was spring break when I woke up next. My neck felt stiff and my limbs felt heavy. I sighed, it was probably because I had fallen asleep sitting up with my laptop beside me. I stretched out and happily hummed while I absorbed the morning light that spilled through my curtains. It was nice to not have to go to school today. I pouted, I still had to move around outside of my house though. If I wasn't being hunted down by a psycho vampire chick, I would've stayed in and had fun. I idly wondered if my dad had been watering my garden or if he had installed sprinklers.

I slowly got up and pulled on some comfortable clothes before I packed away what I would need to for my stay at my godfather's place. I definitely made sure to pack up my weapons along with all my other things. I certainly couldn't be too careful. My dad and I managed to actually have breakfast together for once today. I ended up quickly frying us up some sausages, hash browns, and eggs. I missed having this time with my dad. His cases, the disappearing people, seemed to seep away all of his time. I could tell that he wasn't getting that much sleep anymore, the bags under his eyes confirmed that.

My godfather set up their guest bed in my usual room, the same room I usually stayed at when we slept over in the summer. It was the twin's old room; it always made me feel weird knowing that. I'd spent some of my morning on the beach after I had finished getting settled. There was a lot of sea glass out there today. I was supposed to be with Jacob, but he had other things to do. Eventually I went back and ended up catching up on my shows on Netflix, eating junk food, playing video games, and keeping myself busy during the rest of the morning.

When Jacob dropped in to check on me throughout the day, he apologized for ditching me so much. Apparently his schedule wasn't always this crazy, but until Victoria was stopped the wolves were on red alert.

I worked on my homework for Spanish with Jessica later on in the afternoon at the La Push library. Quil followed me on his bike, and both me and Jessica noticed. I wasn't exactly forbidden from seeing Quil until he turned, but I did like that he hadn't forgotten me. I waved at him now and again. Quil always looked a little pained, but he stayed away. I think Jacob might have talked to him. Again.

"Are you dating that guy? Or is he a stalker?" Jessica asked while she pulled up her bushy red hair into a pony tail. I personally thought that she looked better with it down.

I glanced back at Quil and found that he had taken a seat a couple tables away from us. He seemed to be vibrating. I shrugged, "Nah, he isn't a stalker. I wish we _were_ dating though, but my godbrother got all pissy. It's kind of confusing between the two of us; all hot and cold. I don't know if he really sees me as more than a best friend."

Jessica rolled her eyes and filled in the blank spaces in her worksheet, "Don't kid yourself, Eliza. The guy's head over heels for you." That was a little bit of an exaggeration in my opinion, but whatever.

"I don't know," I pouted and finished off my worksheet before gulping down some water from my thermos.

"I'm right, just wait and see," she winked at me and bumped my shoulder. I suppose...I shook that thought away. I had more important things to worry about, like _not_ dying.

That night, Sam and Emily joined me and my dad for dessert after dinner at uncle Billy's house. Emily brought a double fudge brownie cake that seemed more like chocolate slab. It was delicious and certainly won over my chocaholic of a dad. As we all conversed while eating our respective treats, any worries my dad had harbored about gangs in La Push dissolved into nothing. It was just as well, since there really weren't any _real_ gangs down here in La Push anyways.

Jacob and I skipped out on the board games that they wanted to play. We went out to the garage and sat by the Rabbit. Jacob leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed. His entire face was drawn with exhaustion. He had mentioned working on the Rabbit again while we hung out here, but he seemed far too tired to even do that.

I frowned and prodded his leg with my foot, "Hey. Hey, Jacob. You need to actually sleep. You look dead on your feet."

He opened one eye and yawned, "I'll get around to it." I scowled at him and crossed my arms. I wished that he would take my advice seriously. Sleep deprivation wasn't a joke. People seriously messed up when they didn't get enough sleep. Like driving into a tree, not that I did that before.

Jacob chuckled and mussed up my hair. His skin felt scorching. I grimaced. Didn't that increased temperature denature his cells or something? That constant high of a temperature didn't make sense in my head.

I smoothed down my hair and tilted my head to the side, "Is your crazy temperature a side effect of being able to morph into a giant wolf?"

"Yeah. We run a little warmer than normal people because of our 'morphing' ability. Our temperatures usually fluctuate between one-oh-one and one-oh-two. I never really get cold anymore," he shot me an impish look and poked my forehead.

I scowled as his lips pulled up into a small grin, "It makes it so I can just wear my t-shirt or thin jackets now instead of having to wear my thicker coats. Makes buying clothes easier and cheaper."

I thoughtfully hummed. It would be cool to be able to wear summer wear all throughout the year even when it was cold. I glanced down at where Jacob had cut himself earlier while we helped make mashed potatoes. It was already disappearing into a faint line instead of the gash it was earlier. I looked up at the ceiling and idly asked, "How does the super healing really work? Is it really because of the whole being able to shape shift thing? Are you guys like Wolverine now?"

A choked laugh escaped Jacob before he shot me a bewildered look, "Wolverine?"

I nodded resolutely, "Yeah. Who else has that fast of a healing rate?" After finding out magic was real, I wouldn't put it past the universe to actually have superheros like Wolverine be real.

He shook his head, a bemused smile lighting up his face, "Nah. We can certainly get hurt and stay hurt if it's bad enough. It's just moderate to minor things that heal up fast. It's how we can 'rip' out of our skin without bleeding. We're not invincible or immortal."

I thought about that for a minute, "Huh. I guess that makes sense. What about the whole being so big thing, is that a part of it too? Are you guys still worried about Quil?"

Jacob raised a brow at me before humming. He gazed at the Rabbit and ran a hand through his stubby hair, "Yeah, basically. We are worried, especially since it seems like he's already started to go through the change. Quil's grandfather told me that you could fry an egg on his forehead when we checked with the elders earlier today." His face turned hopeless, "It won't be long now."

I wanted to ask him for some more information about how he liked being able to morph into his favorite animal, but I held my tongue. The gears in his head seemed to be whirring and I knew if I bugged him, he'd just get irritated with me. I bit my lip and waited as patiently as I could.

He stared out into space and a pregnant pause settled between us before he spoke again, "Sometimes, if you get really upset or something that can trigger the change early. I wasn't upset about anything though so it didn't happen to me sooner. Instead it just kept on building up inside me. I was like a ticking time bomb. You know what set me off? I got back from my morning run and my dad said I looked weird. That was all, but I snapped, and then I exploded. I almost ripped _my dad's_ face off."

He shuddered, and his face paled at his memory. Jacob ran a hand down his face and I could tell that recalling how it all felt stressed him out.

"Is it really bad?" I asked anxiously. Was Quil going to suffer that much too before he just _exploded_? I kind of understood why they had done their best to try and keep Quil away from me. They probably didn't want another accident like Emily's to happen again. I stretched out my arms and legs before I bumped his shoulder, "Hey Jacob?"

"Yeah short stuff?"

"Are you miserable?"

"No, I'm not miserable," he pulled on a tired smile, "Not anymore. Not now that you know. That was really hard, before."

I was glad that I was able to be in the know. I appreciated that my godbrother had tried to find a way to include me since the others had voiced how their families didn't quiet know. Embry desperately wanted to tell his siblings where he went off to. He didn't dare though, since he knew that knowing would bring in far more danger than he'd prefer. I think it was worth the danger to know though.

He was quiet for a moment, and I wondered what he was thinking about. I cracked my back and leaned back in my seat, "What's the hardest part?"

"The hardest part is feeling out of control," he said slowly. He looked down at his hands in his lap and grimaced, "Feeling like I can't be sure of myself like maybe other people shouldn't be around me in case I hurt somebody. You've _seen_ Emily. Sam lost control of his temper for just _one second_ and she was just standing too close. Now there's nothing he can ever do to put it right again, barring plastic surgery any way. I hear his thoughts and feel how gutted he is every time he thinks about it. I'm afraid that I'm losing myself."

I let out a deep sigh. This wasn't the fun bonding time I had hoped for. It felt good talking to my little godbrother again though. I lolled my head to the side, "Is it hard to morph back into a human?"

"At first," he murmured, "It takes some practice to phase back and forth, but it's easier tor me."

"How come?" I popped a peppermint into my mouth and rolled it under my tongue.

A crooked grin spread across his face, "Because Ephraim Black was my father's grandfather and Quil Ateara was my mother's grandfather."

"Quil?" I furrowed my brow in confusion and bit into my candy with my molars. Was Quil Jacob's cousin? I made a face at that thought. I didn't really know how to feel about that.

"His great-grandfather. Quil's my second cousin," Jacob clarified. I inwardly let out a sigh of relief and swallowed my crunched up candy. I guess that made it less weird then.

"Why does it matter who your great-grandfathers were?"

"Because Ephraim and Quil were in the last pack. Levi Uley was the third. It's in my blood on both sides, so I bound to turn into a giant wolf just like how Quil probably will too," his expression turned bleak.

"What's the very best part then?" I asked, hoping to lift up his mood a little. I honestly wanted to get some more information on how Quil was his second cousin, but I figured that I could just ask him about that later. Or I could just ask Quil when he wasn't about to burst into a giant super wolf.

"The best part," he stated suddenly all smiles, "is the speed."

I let out a little laugh, "Better than the motorcycles?" He always had been a speed junkie, even when we were younger.

He nodded, enthusiastic, "There's no comparison."

"So how fast can you guys run when you're wolves?"

"Fast enough. About seventy kilometers an hour when we're really hoofing it, but when we're just running the perimeters just about fifty. Hey, tell me something I don't know about vampires. How did you stand it, being around them I mean? Did it creep you out?"

I guffawed and nodded, "Yeah, they kind of did. I just kept thinking that if I wasn't as polite as I could be then I might just become vampire food. For the most part, I was just really scared all the time."

An understanding look filled his face before a brief silence fell between us again. I was glad that I hadn't really had to deal with any vampires to be honest. The whole consuming blood for sustenance thing kind of creeped me out. I still liked Alice and Jasper despite that though.

"Say, why _did_ the bloodsuckers kill Victoria's mate, anyway?" he idly asked while he pulled out a Snikers bar out of his pocket.

I raised a brow at his sudden turn of questioning. I contemplated whether or not to tell him about the whole Higginbotham turning vampires back into human thing. Did Jacob even know about the other magical aspects of the world? I inwardly sighed. Maybe a half truth would suffice for now? I shot him a bitter smile, "James tried to kill me along with Victoria a little while back. It was like a game for them. He died and lost while I ended up staying holed up in a hospital for a little while. Edward ended up in the same hospital when he turned back into a human, actually."

Jacob sucked in a breath, "Damn. He got that close to killing you, huh?" He shook his head and shoved his entire chocolate bar into his mouth, noisily chewing.

"He got very, very close," I stroked the scar on my arm and sighed, ignoring his annoying sounds. That was the closest call to death that I had here, although almost getting squished by a van was pretty damn close too.

"What's that?" he prodded my arm and stared at the crescent shaped scar on my arm. He swallowed and frowned, "Your scar's cold." He looked at it closer, and gasped.

I scratched the back of my head and shot him a sheepish look, "James bit me before he died."

His eyes bulged and his face turned a strange sallow color. He kind of looked like he was about to be sick.

"But if he bit you shouldn't you be...?" he choked and looked at me warily.

I rolled my eyes at him. Like I would secretly be a vampire. Hah! I tried to shove his shoulder, but he didn't budge. "When the Cullens found me, Edward sucked the venom out. It was all kind of blurry, but I do know that he did end up saving me," I twitched as I recalled the burning pain of that bite. I was honestly just really lucky I _hadn't_ died, since I knew that I couldn't turn into a vampire. Jacob didn't know that though. I wondered if it would make him feel better if he knew that.

Jacob's whole body started trembling beside me. I leaned away and furrowed my brows, "Hey careful, Jacob. Take it easy. Calm in down."

He pulled his head into his hands and grimaced, "Yeah, calm. I'm clam." He shook his head back and forth quickly. After a moment, only his hands were shaking.

I tilted my head to the side, "You okay?"

He let out a shuddering sigh, "Yeah, almost. Talk to me. Give me something else to think about, please."

I raised a brow at him, "Sure. What do you want to know?"

He closed his eyes and slowly took in deep breaths, "The extra stuff, I guess. Did any of the other Cullens have super powers when they were vampires?" I don't think that he knew that Alice and Jasper were still vampires. I didn't really want to be the one to tell him that. He might get mad enough to tear the whole garage apart if he changed now.

"Jasper could control the emotions of the people around him. Alice had foresight, but it really depended on a person's solid decision. Edward was able to read minds, and Emmett had super strength."

Jacob stilled beside me and sighed, "That's kind of unfair."

I shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

"Well you know what?" he asked and grinned down at me.

I shrugged, "What?"

He beamed at me, "We're still better than them."

I laughed, "Ya think so?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Cause at the end of the day we're still human."

I shot him an amused look, "Racist."

He pulled himself up and stretched, "Sue me."

It was nice talking to Jacob like this again. I missed it. Now if I could get Embry and Quil here along with a wii, it would feel just like the old days.

I ended up having some silly conversations with my godfather the next day when I helped make breakfast. He kept saying that I needed to eat more and that I should find a boyfriend. I laughed off his comments. I felt like I was kind of chubby and I doubted Quil would want in on _that_ part of my life. If I wasn't allergic to cats, I'd probably end up as an old cat lady tending to my nieces and nephews. I ended up studying for the next Calculus test for a while. After that, I ended up talking to my mom and friends for hours. Angela, Jessica, and Lauren were going to Mexico tomorrow. Lucky bastards. I was invited, but I had to decline because of the whole someone trying to kill me thing.

Uncle Billy ended up going fishing with Harry during the middle of the day so I tried hanging out at Emily's place during the afternoon. I would've rather gone to Quil's place, but his grandfather had told me that he was undergoing the 'change'.

I found that Emily was a generally cheerful person who never sat still. I liked her. I ended up trailing behind her like a baby duck while she flitted around her little house and yard throughout the day. We ended up scrubbing her floor clean, pulling out weeds in her greenhouse and garden, fixing a couple broken hinge, and cooking up a storm throughout the day. I had fun for the most part. I learned how to make tapas. Chores were always easier to do with a friendly person to talk to. During all of this we talked about boys, how to properly shoot guns, and which touristy spots I should check out while I was here.

Sam checked in on us now and again. At the end of the day I was too tired to do much of anything else, but sleep. It felt weird not being worried about getting eaten in the middle of the night. I did worry about my dad while he was out and about when he wasn't on the reservation. I didn't really know how to keep him safe without sounding crazy. I told my mom about trying to tell dad about the dangers, but she advised me against it. She tried that when I was little, and he just thought she was crazy.

The next day I ended up debating on how to prepare myself. I order a couple more things off of Duckluck. Some blessed salt, silver crosses, and blessed bat. I also found a forum on their website about magical creatures. I'd have to read up on that later on. Sure it was nice that I was sort of safe here, but I couldn't stay here in La Push forever. That thought led me to going off to the beach to shoot tin cans off logs. I still really needed to work on my aim. I had gotten pretty good, but I wasn't too sure how my aim would be if I was scared out of my freaking mind again.

Eventually, I got tired of shooting tin cans and sat down on a patch of dry rocks. I stared at the waves and listened to music on my phone. Had Quil changed yet? Could I talk to him again? Were the wolf boys safe? Was Victoria dead yet? Where _was_ Bree? How were the Cullens now? So many worries swirled throughout my mind as I stared at the gently undulating waters.

After a while I got tired of worrying and ate the lunch I packed up. What would I do when no one was killing me? Maybe I could date Quil? Go to college and become a cop? Take down bad guys, definitely. I'd want kids too. I would want them to grow up in a home where they wouldn't have to move between to parents. While I finished off my food, I got lost in my head.

I felt someone sit down beside me and I was caught off guard for a moment. It was Leah. She looked worn, sad, and kind of bitter. She chopped off her hair, which was surprising. I thought she loved having long hair. I didn't really know what to say since we weren't really close, but I did know about how Sam ditched her for her cousin Emily. People still talked about that around here.

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, "Sorry. Did you want me to go?"

Leah searched my face and shook her head, "Nah. I'm good, so whatcha doing here, midget?" I wondered if this was where she spent her time brooding. From what I gathered from everyone else, she did that a lot now.

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, "Spending spring break here. Shooting tin cans. Stuff like that." I made sure that my gun's safety had been flipped back on when I holstered it.

She nodded and shot me an amused look. A short silence spread between us before she murmured, "This is a good place to think."

The clouds parted and showed off a glowing sun and clear blue skies. It wasn't drizzling today for once. I nodded and stared up at the fluffy white clouds that drifted along the sky, "So...how's it going?"

She barked out a bitter laugh, "No need to step on eggshells with me, Kites. I got the news like everyone else. Sam **Fucking** Uley got engaged to _my cousin_. Just tops off my fucking day."

I frowned, "You wanna talk about it." I kicked a nearby rock and watched it skitter away. I shot her a small encouraging smile. I knew she didn't want pity. If the the love of my life decided to run off with my cousin and then get engaged, I think pity would just enrage me.

Leah searched my face for a moment before slowly nodding, "Yeah. Yeah, it would be good to vent a little."

I nodded and leaned back on my forearms, "Okay."

She took a deep breath before letting out a deep exhausted sigh, "I can't believe that they're _really_ engaged. You know she invited me to be a bridesmaid at their _fucking_ wedding. It's just the cherry on top of my shit ass day. I almost hit a giant wolf bear thing on my way to the post office to send out my college applications. My mom is complaining about my 'mood swings', my dad's always hunting for those stupid bears, and Seth. Bah. Seth's being a totally bitch lately. I swear he's a teenage girl sometimes. I could just ugh!"

At the end of her rant she appeared to be shaking. I worriedly wondered if she could morph into a wolf too. Taking a chance, I pulled her into a side hug. Her trembling slowly eased down and her anger suddenly turned into tears. She sobbed big fat tears and I let her cry. I didn't say a word and gently rubbed her back while she let out broken loud wails.

Her cries and tears slowly turned into sniffles after a while. Even though the sun shined the wind still felt bitingly cold. I shivered and bumped Leah's shoulder gently.

She looked up at me with red eyes before scrubbing away her tears, "I'm sorry for being such a crybaby."

I shook my head and gently smiled, "Nah. I get it. I mean not totally, but the feeling betrayed part. I get that."

Leah shot me an understanding look and a bitter look flashed on her face, "Yeah. We heard about those punks trying to kill you back in Phoenix. People are shit sometimes." I didn't know that they all knew about that, but I wasn't as mad as I had thought I would be. It didn't really matter if they knew that some asshole kids tried to kill me with a rigged motorcycle. It seemed insignificant now.

"Yeah. I know. You wanna go get some ice cream and hang out?" I zipped up my anorak against the cold and stared up at the sky. On the far horizon, storm clouds seemed to be brewing.

She let out a bewildered laugh as we slowly got up. She mussed up my hair, "Sure. Thanks for letting me vent, squirt. It's been a really tough year for me so far. It doesn't help that my temper seems so short lately. It wasn't that bad last year."

I nodded, "You could try yoga and meditation. I heard that helps. I can't stand to sit still in the quiet for that long though, but yoga seems fun."

She nodded and while we walked away from the beach a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, "Yeah. I could be super flexible for the next guy I date."

I guffawed and blushed a little, "Sure. That's one way to get back at em."

"Still hurts like a bitch though," she murmured.

I nodded, "So what colleges or universities are you applying to?" I figured a change in topic would be better than letting her brood on the whole Sam and Emily thing. It was too bad there wasn't a gym here. Otherwise I would've asked if she liked to box. We could've printed out Sam's face, stuck it on the boxing bag, and she could've punched it to death.

While we walked she seemed to get a bit happier. A wistful look painted on her face, "I can't afford much and I don't wanna go for any loans so I'm planning on going to the local community college at the very least. I also sent out an application to the University of Washington. You know, just in case. I sent out some applications for some scholarships to that place too."

"Huh. That's really cool. I sent out some too, earlier this year, but I'm not too sure where I'll get accepted. I kind of just want to be a small town cop like my dad, but at the same time I wanna explore," I kicked a nearby pebble while we steadily made our way to the ice cream shack.

A bewildered laugh escaped Leah, "You. Tiny you, wanna be a cop? I think you should explore and then be a cop later. It's good to get away from home sometimes."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."


	33. Chapter 33

**AN:** I'm sorry this chapter came out so late. I meant to post this in November, but revising all the chapters that I had already posted up on this story is taking _far longer_ than I had originally anticipated. I probably need a Beta, but I don't know anyone that's both well versed in Twilight and the magical world of Harry Potter. Plus, I'm kind of embarrassed to ask.

Also, if you see 'mombling' in the story, it's because OpenOffice kept changing it to that instead of keeping it as mumbling, for some messed up reason. I've switched back to Microsoft Word, so that shouldn't be a problem in the future, hopefully.

Thank you to all the people that read this story, favorited, and/or followed it. You are all _fantastic_. I didn't think this thing could have more than four thousand views at the _very_ max, but now we're almost at seven thousand. I don't even know what to say because I _**never**_ thought that I could reach that with _any_ story. I'm just really grateful that you all decided to stick around. Thanks again. c:

 **ginko00:** You are very welcome. I like Wolverine too. I went and started revising all the chapters that are up, so anything that I missed the second time around should be okay by now. I should be about half way done the revisions by the time this chapter is up. Thanks for your review! c:

 **nom:** I am _ecstatic_ that you gave this story a chance, and that you liked it. Thank you for your review! c:

 **4everfictional:** Holy cracker-jacks. Thank you so much for all of your reviews! *sending virtual internet hug*

I'm glad that you like the Gamer, it's a good comic. I wanted Eliza to have a bunch of different interests like normal rounded people.

The whole rapist thing didn't make sense to keep, but if I _had_ left it then Edward would've _killed_ them. It would've traumatized Eliza, and then the story would've taken a really dark turn.

She doesn't have any witch blood or fairy blood in her, but she does wish she did. The curse in her family is still _active,_ and **that's** why there a _tiny_ amount of magic in her. It's not enough for her to be a witch though. c:

The Quileute Elders, the ones that used to be shape shifters, are still capable to shape shift into wolves. Once you're a shape shifter, you're one for life; it's an unavoidable consequence. They'd be really _old_ wolves though, and Billy would be a crippled wolf if he chose to shift. I think that's why they're leaving all the _hunting_ to the younger generation.

The consequences of taking her bracelet and/or necklace off would be that vampires could find her with better ease. The best metaphor I have for it would be that Eliza is someone's wifi, and her bracelet and necklace act as the wifi password.

The Cullens, when they were still vampires, all thought that Edward had a _strange_ attachment to Eliza. However, they knew that they weren't mates. She was like a 'special' friend to Edward, in their eyes.

Thank you for pointing out my _big_ hiccups. I have revised that, and I am currently going through the other chapters to see if I had any other continuity/spelling/grammatical mistakes within those chapters that I already have up.

Spoiler: Edward's mate will find him. c;

Another spoiler: Even though Edward is, essentially, human, he'll still be in the story. The part that he plays is just going to change. He was a doctor, a vigilante, and a private eye at different points in time during his vampiric life, so he'll be a wealth of information later on. Eliza just doesn't know it yet.

Sometimes, Eliza can be dumb, despite her usual intelligence. And now for the story:

 **33\. The Unexpected**

I woke up to the break of dawn, hearing fast footsteps and doors flinging open. Thunder and rain pelted against the house while thunder roared now and again. Lightening flashed through the windows as I sleepily came out of the guest bedroom. My dad was hurriedly wheeling out my godfather; they both had grim expressions painted on their faces as they left.

I yawned as I wandered towards the kitchen. I grabbed a cup of orange juice, and spotted Jacob and Quil sitting at the kitchen table. Jacob looked unusually pale and Quil appeared to be brooding. He appeared to have morphed already since he seemed to have grown and aged like the others. Huh. I idly wondered when exactly that had happened, as I sipped my juice.

I rubbed away the sleep gunk in my eyes, and gulped down the rest of my drink, "What's going on? Where are uncle Billy and my dad going?" I rinsed my glass and promptly left it in the sink. I could attend to it later.

Quil murmured as he clicked away on his android phone, "Harry Clearwater got mauled by a bear this morning." I wondered if they were getting texts about it right now, until what Quil said breached through the fog blurring my mind.

"What?" I shook my head, trying to absorb what he was saying. The sleep induced fog that clung onto the edges of my mind vanished. Was he _serious_? Did an actual _bear_ mauling just happen, and _not_ something supernatural?

"Yeah. Uncle Charlie and my dad are headed over to the hospital now," Jacob got out of his seat and started pacing, after he had slipped his phone into his pocket.

I frowned and walked towards the kitchen table, "Is Harry going to be okay?" My stomach clenched. It was hard to believe that Harry was anything, but okay. I had just talked to him a couple days ago.

Quil looked up at me, a grimace painted on his face, "It doesn't look so great right now."

Abruptly, his face changed into a dopey smile. Jacob whipped his head towards Quil, and suddenly pushed him out of his seat against the fridge before he could even flinch.

"What's going on?" I reeled back in confusion. As I stared at the two of them I took a step back. The fuck? Was this really the time to be rough housing? Someone _actually_ got **mauled** by a fucking bear, people. I let my hand drift towards my hip, and pulled on a sour look. It was far too early for this shit.

Quil let out a desolate whine, and continued staring at me with dilated eyes as Jacob held him still. Jacob let out a dry curse under his breath and looked over his shoulder at me, "He _imprinted_ on you."

I frowned and took another step back, "Like a baby duck?" What did Edward say about imprinting again? Something something you idiot? God damn it. I tried to wrack my brain for the little bit of information that he had said to me a while go.

Jacob let out a startled laugh, "No, certainly not."

He glared back at a struggling Quil pinned down under his forearm, "Can you promise not to maul her?"

My face twisted into a disturbed grimace. That was certainly the _wrong_ choice of words. I was tempted to chastise him, but refrained. This was already a stressful enough morning.

Quil reeled back, "I'd never hurt the love of my life." The hell what now? Was he serious?

I gaped at him and flushed. Was this another side effect from the whole wolf thing or was - was he serious? I rubbed my sternum grimacing slightly; my heart felt like it had skipped a beat.

Jacob's cellphone rang causing him to let out a frustrated sound. He reluctantly released Quil while hurriedly murmuring into his phone. Seconds ticked by and Jacob's face paled. Quil's dopey look dimmed as he stood by Jacob.

I didn't really know what was going on at this point, and I felt like I should've really just stayed in bed. Quil slowly stepped around Jacob, and enveloped me into a warm hug. I returned his embrace happily, but I was still really confused. Butterflies swirled in my stomach as the storm continued to pound against the roof.

"Eliza, stay here okay?" Jacob stated as he stalked out of the kitchen.

He leveled Quil with a warning glare before shaking his head, "I mean it. Leah and Seth _shifted_ right in front of Sue after they found out about Harry. Sam is doing damage control, but he needs a hand. Quil; don't you _dare_ complete the imprint. I'm serious. Don't do anything stupid. Either of you. I'll be back soon."

I untangled myself from Quil and took a step back, as I let my eyes adjust to the dim room. Jacob quickly stomped out of the house, and I followed after him gently closing the door he had left hanging open. I turned around and gazed at the cramped front room, it seemed so empty without uncle Billy and the others. It was strangely ominous, but that was probably because I knew why they weren't here.

A low whimper escaped Quil's throat, and I noted that his eyes were still dilated. A frown furrowed my brow as I cupped the side of his face, "What happened to you?"

He rubbed up against my hand like a cat. I thought it was kind of funny, but at the same time I was really worried. Was this the whole _sexual_ imprinting that Edward had mentioned before? What did completing the imprint mean? He didn't mean sex, did he?

He let out a wistful sigh, "What do you mean?"

I shook my head and frowned. He looked high out of his mind. I didn't think that sexual imprinting happened this way, and I wasn't sure about what was going to happen next. I gently pulled my hand away making him to whine.

A frown crumpled my face, "You're being weird." I let my voice drop, "Is this a 'wolf' thing?"

He tilted his head, and before I knew it he had scooped me up into his arms. I let out a little shriek of protest as he carried me into the living room. Quil unceremoniously plopped me down onto the couch, and I landed down on it with an ouff. I stared up at his confused and hazy expression as he sat down beside me. I lifted my legs as he settled in underneath them.

He let out a slight hum before speaking, "It's kind of like how I would think Ecstasy might feel like. I'm really horny and I really wanna do you. 'Mating' would complete the imprint."

I bit my lip and clenched my legs reflexively, "You're not going to...right?" I wasn't really ready for that. This seemed like it was going _far_ too fast for my liking.

"No. Never. I'd _never_ **force** you to complete the imprint before you're ready. It does kind of hurt for me though. Not trying to 'finish' the _last_ steps," he let out a bitter laugh before he shook his head. Had he always felt this way or was this the imprint talking now?

"Sam had explained how it got better after they 'completed' the imprint. It didn't hurt him anymore. Actually, he said afterwards every time he was near Emily, it was like being totally and unconditionally loved; like he could physically _feel_ that. I'm looking forward to that," a slight flush decorated Quil's face.

My cheeks felt as hot as my ears, and I didn't really know what to say. This wasn't something that Quil had ever mentioned. It was more than I had _ever_ been hoping for. I awkwardly shifted my weight from one arm to the next. How did I deal with this?

I pulled on a strained smile and patted his shoulder, "So what now?"

Quil let out a bewildered laugh, "We could talk about it I guess, until Jacob gets back anyways."

I frowned as he reminded me of _why_ Jacob wasn't butting in. Harry just got _mauled_. Fuck. My gut twisted. Should we really be talking about our 'relationship' while someone was fighting to live? I did have feelings for him, but at the same time...forever was a God damn long time. Were they like voles and how they mated for life? How _did_ this thing work?

Jacob waltzed back in after a couple minutes of silence between me and Quil, "Leah and Seth are fine. Sue's calm _now,_ and she swore a secrecy oath with a bit of blood. Did my dad and uncle Charlie come back yet?" I was really glad he came back sooner than I had anticipated. I still wasn't sure how to fill the odd silence that seemed to stretch on between me and Quil.

I shot him a strained sort of look, "Nope."

Quil shook his head. His lips thinned into a grim line when Jacob squeezed onto the couch next to me. I straightened up into a proper sitting position to let Jacob have some space. It was a little awkward, to say the least.

Quil let out a disgruntled sigh while Jacob let out a little laugh. They both looked utterly exhausted, now that I could take a clear look at the two of them. I wondered when they'd last slept.

Jacob leaned his head back onto the cushion next to mine and yawned, "I guess I should rest for a minute." His eyes closed and I heard Quil clear his throat quietly when it seemed like Jacob was dead to the world, his breathing was deep and even.

"Psst...Eliza…so?" Quil's brows were furrowed and he looked conflicted. I wondered vaguely if it was wrong to want to sleep in order to get away from this conversation.

Jacob softly snored beside me, and I decided that it would be better to get this over with now. I gently stood up from the couch, and slinked away from the living room with Quil in tow. His giant hand felt hot in mine and I had to keep my breath steady. It was weird feeling this electric current between us. Had it always been there? If it had, then why hadn't I noticed it before?

We made it into the guest bedroom, and sat on my bed facing one another. He still had this sort of sad hopeful look hanging on his face. It wasn't like I was going to _reject_ him, but I didn't want to have sex either. Not _now_ at least.

"Quil?" I whispered as I gently rubbed his hand. When did they get so calloused?

"Eliza?" he murmured while upturning his palm to gently grip onto my hand. Strong hands.

I let out a deep sigh and pulled on a hesitant smile, "I don't know what sexual imprinting means for shape shifting wolves. I also don't know that much about the magical world as of yet. Not really. This whole thing is kind of **much** , especially when one of our family friends may be dying. A lot of things are changing. Like, for instance, a psycho vampire trying to kill me." I felt like I was babbling on, but he didn't look like he was zoning out, so I continued on.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to be with you, far from it, I do. However, at the same time...I don't want to dive into a _sexual_ relationship right now. It's not safe. Do you get what I mean? I just want to go _slow_. Does any of this make any sense?" I didn't really want to accidentally get pregnant and still have a vampire trying to kill me. That wasn't something anyone would want, right?

I desperately searched his face. It seemed a little blank, like he was tumbling all of my words in his head like a washing machine. I hoped that he didn't take this as some sort of rejection, because it wasn't. Before he could answer me, his cellphone rang out with the Imperial March. He shot me a sheepish look before quickly answering it.

"Hello?" he looked away from me, and I took this as permission to eavesdrop on his conversation.

Quil rapidly shook his head, "No. I haven't. Jacob said I shouldn't complete it. No! It's not like I'm going to rape her, God damn Sam."

He threw me a sheepish look before he started to pull away, but I tugged on his hand so he would stay. I wanted to hear this, even if it was all one sided.

He shot me an irritated look before settling back down into his seat. I pulled back the urge to say 'good boy', internally I snickered at that thought.

"She knows that I _imprinted_ on her Sam. Who? I did. I told her. Well...Jacob too I guess. Look. It's not _that_ bad. She hasn't run away screaming, and I'm not going to force her to do something she's not ready for. Aren't there _other_ ways to complete the bond anyway?" he lowered his voice and at this point he sounded as gruff as fuck. This was probably really wearing down on him. I tilted my head and strained to hear more of what was going on.

He paused for a while and a deep frown overtook his face, "Well there _is_ that. I don't know if her dad would _go_ for that. Wait. What? What do you mean we just have to ask _Edward_? He's her what now?"

I inwardly laughed. Oh. So he _didn't_ know that Edward, a prior vampire, was my great and so forth grand uncle. Why would they need his permission to do anything?

Quil looked up at the ceiling and scowled, "He's her _ancestor_. How is that even possible Sam. He was a **vampire**?! Okay. Hold up. He was a vampire and he managed to turn _back_ into a human. How is that possible? What do you mean my imprint, and I have stuff to talk about? Sam, don't you fucking hang up! Sam? Sam! God damn it." He let out a disgruntled sound before roughly pocketing his phone.

I let out a long laugh before gently patting his hand, "I guess I have stuff to tell you too."

He raised his brow at me and I poked his cheek before jokingly saying, "Don't run for the hills."

Quil's expression softened as he pulled me closer towards him. I was flush against his side when he murmured, "Never. Seriously though, you heard my conversation with Sam. What's up with Edward and you being able to turn vamps back into humans?"

I let my arm fall around his waist while I leaned my arm on his shoulder. Quil's body seemed to hum and I felt this odd sense of peace wash over me. Was this some sort of magic? I shrugged off that thought and took in a deep breath before letting out through my nose. I hoped that this didn't change anything between us, "I'm not exactly a _normal_ human, and I can do that. Not so much Edward."

Quil tilted his head and shot me a confused look, "What do you mean?"

A hysterical laugh escaped my mouth before I could smother it. I choked and shook my head, "It's a looong story."

An easy smile tugged onto his lips as he pulled me into a side hug. I felt my face heat up like a stove as he nuzzled into my neck, "I have time."

I wiggled out of his grasp and let out a warbling laugh, "Alright….so a long long time ago…" I told him about how my maternal ancestors had been vampires at some point. About how they had been cursed to become human again, with that curse came many consequences. Any vampires that drank from them became human too, and vampiric venom only killed my ancestors. They were never able to turn back into vampires. I paused and searched his face. He still _looked_ accepting enough, so I soldiered on with my explanation.

He rubbed slow circles on the small of my back, making me flush redder than a hot iron, "Go on."

I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the sensations that he kept bringing up inside of me, "My maternal family was hunted down for generations...now it's just me and my mom. As for the whole 'Edward thing'…well it turns out that he's my great so on and so forth half uncle on my dad's side, but you knew that. I don't know _why_ that would be important to you though."

Quil let out a snort and shook his head, "Damn. Being your imprint _is_ complicated, sweetheart. I wouldn't have it any other way though. As for the pertinence of Edward, well…another way to complete the bond would be to get married. Like a soul bond marriage. The way that some wizards and witches do it."

I quirked my brow, "Okay….not that I _don't_ want to marry you, but there are several problems with that. One, we're _both_ still seventeen, so I don't think that's legal. Two, I thought that only happened in fanfictions, and not in the real world. Three, do you really want the responsibilities of what comes when two people get married?" I finished ticking off my fingers, and steadily stared at him. I personally thought that all my points were pretty valid.

He nodded slowly before brushing a gentle kiss on my neck. I felt myself inwardly shiver as I tingled all over. Oh my. If this was what imprinting felt like when he touched me…I didn't know how I would hold off his advances. Sure, I had a decent sense of self control, but I wasn't _that_ good.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he laced his fingers with mine, "One, all you need to get married legally in La Push is the permission of your tribe elders once you turn sixteen. In your case, that would be Edward since he's your _ancestor_ , which trumps your dad's authority. Two, soul bond marriages are real and not the work of fiction. They supersede the normal way of getting married since you _literally_ tie your soul to your spouse's. Wizards and witches rarely do it nowadays though. The _consequences_ of separating would be death, and a lot of people don't like that. Magical creatures on the other hand, well…the whole imprinting thing can be really handy that way. And three, wouldn't you want the _benefits_ of getting married?" He wiggled his eyebrows and let his hands ghost against my hips.

I internally swore. Damn stupid hormones were clouding _both_ our minds. I swear. I shook my head and gulped. Was it just me or was this room hotter than normal? My eyes roamed his form as I cleared my throat, "Gah."

I shook my head, a grin blooming on my face, as laughter escaped me. I let myself fall onto my back with a tiny umph.

Quil moved along with me, and lay beside me, using his elbow to support his torso, "What's so funny?"

I roved my eyes towards him, a half smile stuck on my face as I giggled now and again, "This sexual tension is crazy. Was it always here? How had I not noticed?"

He looked at me with a confused grin before shaking his head, "Of course, _you_ would focus on that. I am basically proposing to you, _right now_. Are you going to say yes?"

I raised a brow at that thought and hummed, "Yeah. That's a yes, even though we're both super young."

He leaned over and gently kissed my lips before sitting up properly, "Awesome, but we're not _both_ super young. After the whole 'wolf change', my body aged up to about twenty-five. _Most_ people that go through 'the change' have that. I think the only ones that don't, are the ones that are able to do that right at birth. They usually have weird blue skin or some other visible genetic difference though." That totally reminded me of that mutant girl from the X-men. What was her name again?

I stopped my line of thoughts and paused, "Why? Why twenty-five?" Was this some sort of magical biological thing?

"Because that's when a human brain matures and stops developing, silly," he stated simply while he brushed strands of hair out of my face.

I turned my head to stare at him, "Huh, so that makes you a cradle robber."

"What!? _No_ , we started out the same age, and as far as _I'm_ concerned you're just growing really slowly," his right eye twitched, as he let out a deep irritated sound through his nose.

My eyes rolled automatically as I snorted, "That makes no sense, but whatever floats your boat. I didn't expect any of this when I woke up today."

"Life's funny that way. Do you still want me to ask your dad? You know...for permission, like you said when we were younger," he let out a deep breath as a thoughtful frown slipped onto his face.

"Oh, absolutely; you can't get out of that. I hope you _know_ that I'd prefer to be married the 'normal' way too," I guffawed and shot him a playfully challenging look. I always wanted a church wedding, and I was still determined to have it. I didn't mind waiting, not that much anyways.

"So wait. What do you mean then when you said yes?" Quil stared hard at me, doubt and worry flashing in his eyes.

"Ask Edward for permission. We'll do the whole soul bond thing _**and**_ the whole normal non-magic thing too. Best of both worlds, you know?" I snuggled closer to him and took in his scent. He smelled like the woods, sour patch candies, wet dog, and fabric softener. That was different from how he usually smelled, but I still liked it.

"I guess. That's still a 'yes' though, right?" he nudged me with his head before nuzzling my neck.

"Always," I blithely murmured. That would never change. I would never want it to, and I would never _choose_ to change that.

A breath, one that I hadn't know he'd been holding, whooshed out of him, "You know I love you, right? Even without this _imprint_ I still _do_ love you, as you." He looked at me expectantly and I felt fuzzy inside as I searched for the words that were lodged in my heart.

I cleared my throat and shot him a sincere smile, "I know. I love you too, magic or not. I am a little worried about you dying before me now…since you aged like what? Eight years. Doesn't that mean you'll die sooner?" That was a real new worry in my mind.

"What? No. As a 'magical creature' I'll die when you do, so don't go dying too soon," he stated. His eyes were serious even though his tone was jocular.

"That's good to know. I wish I could find some sort of magical creature textbook or something. All these little details and bits of information would've been so handy to know. Like magical lifespans, imprinting, and even just general magical world knowledge…I don't know it. It's not like I can count on Google for shit like that right now," I stared back at the ceiling and grimaced inwardly. If I only knew more….then maybe all of this wouldn't seem so God damn crazy. Maybe I could be more prepared.

"You could always just buy the textbook 'The Magical Guide To The World'. I think they sell that for civilians along with the students that go to the New Orleans Institute Of Magic," Quil stated simply. He slipped out his phone and showed me Duckluck's shopping page for the textbook.

"What?" I felt my eyebrows rise beyond my hairline. There was an actual magical school here in America? I always kind of assumed that only Europe had those, like Hogwarts.

"What do you mean, what? When I ended up finding myself as a shape shifter, I researched and asked the Elders questions. They had a lot of answers and lead me to Duckluck which _also_ has a lot of answers. If you type in questions in their search bar, people answer you," Quil shot me an amused look as I snatched his phone and scrolled through the tab.

I scowled and huffed, "God _damn_ it. I should've tried _that_ instead of _just_ shopping on it." Oh! Was that an _actual_ time turner? Fuck. That was so _pricy._

"Shopping there is pretty good too. You are so _cute_ , sweetpea," he cooed, pulling his phone away from my twitching fingers. He pushed it back into his jean pockets and grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes and tried pushing him away, "Shut up."

"I love you too," he cackled and pulled me closer to pepper my face with wet kisses.

I let out an irritated sound as I squirmed away from him, "Come on. We should get back into the living room. If my godbrother saw us like this, he'd try to skin you alive,"

"Probably," he let out a sigh and helped me up. Giving me one last tight squeeze, we both exited my guest room feeling marginally better than when we had entered it.

The house had become darker as the storm rolled on outside when I glanced out of my window. Considering what happened today, it only seemed appropriate. When we creeped back into the living room all we could hear, besides the thundering rain, was Jacob's slow deep breathing, and the tick tock of his grandfather clock. It was comforting to a certain extent.

I sighed, and squeezed onto the nearby loveseat with Quil right behind me. Was this all really happening? Quil squeezed my hands and I pulled on a tiny smile. I suppose it was. At least I finally got to be with Quil…my childhood crush actually bore fruit. However, it was – isn't how I had pictured it. I had hoped it would be more _normal_ than _this._ Was I really ready to be _soul bound_? That seemed so much more _permanent_ than just marriage alone. Were we even mature enough for this?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car squelching through mud on the driveway outside. I heard it stop in front of the house, and doors opening and closing.

Uncle Billy's voice was easily identifiable, but he kept it uncharacteristically low for some reason. From here it sounded like gravelly grumbles. The front door opened, and the hallway lights flickered on. I blinked, momentarily blinded by the excess light, and leaned into Quil. I could see him try to hide the smirk that hid behind his calm façade. Jerk face.

Jacob startled awake, gasping and jumping to his feet. He looked around frantically before calming down. His eyes darted towards me and Quil before he blinked owlishly at his father. Sam stood behind my godfather like a statue.

"Sorry," Uncle Billy grunted, "Did we wake you?"

My eyes slowly focused on my godfather's face, and as I read his expression, my eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, uncle Billy, no!" I moaned, as my heart clenched. The only other time I had ever seen his face like that was when aunt Sarah had died. Harry hadn't been able to make it….

He nodded slowly, his expression hard with grief. Quil pulled me into a tight side hug, letting me soak his shoulder with my silent tears. I hiccuped and groaned. Why? Just…why?

Jacob hurried to his father and took one of his hands when I blearily glanced back at them. The pain made his face suddenly childlike - it was a heart wrenching reminder of the last time we lost a loved one.

Sam gently pushed my godfather's wheelchair through the hallway and further into the living room. His normal composure was absent from his agonized face, his hands kept clenching and unclenching the wheelchair's handles.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. I didn't know what else to say, at this point. It was too hard to believe that an actual _bear_ killed him. A tiny dark part of my heart hoped that, _that bear_ would be killed in a gruesome sort of way. Maybe a vampire would kill it? Or some other sort of monster, monsters that I had thought were only found in fairy tales and myths. I hoped that a thunderbird would strike it down and fry the stupid thing to death.

Uncle Billy nodded and choked out, "It's gonna be hard all around."

"Where's my dad?" I tilted my head and scrubbed my leaking tears away from my eyes, as I looked around for my dad. Didn't he go up with them to the hospital? Why wasn't he here?

"Charlie's still at the hospital with Sue. There are a lot of...arrangements that have to be made…," Sam stated quietly as my godfather silently wheeled himself towards his room. My heart went out to Sue, Seth, and Leah. I couldn't imagine my life without my dad. I couldn't imagine my life without Quil. I cringed away from the idea of even trying to imagine that.

I swallowed hard as Quil rubbed my shoulder. Ice crept up into me and made me feel numb as this new reality settled down around me. Was _anyone_ really safe _anywhere?_ I wished that I wasn't just a blood bag that could turn vampires into humans. I wished that I had magic, so I could try to make this _better_. I knew that it was futile to wish for those things though.

"I'd better get back to the hospital," Sam mumbled before he hastily ducked out the door. I robotically got up, and closed the front door to keep out the cold rain that kept pouring down from the weeping skies.

Jacob paced back and forth while shaking his head. His face was twisted between grief and anger, and I didn't know what to do, **again**. I wanted to reach out and give him a hug, but I was hesitant. Would he lash out like when aunt Sarah died?

Before I could make up my mind, Quil took me back into his arms. I felt his warmth and my face crumbled into ugly tears once more.

My godbrother paused for a moment, before a gutted sound escaped him. We all stiffly plopped down onto the nearby couch. Squished together, I didn't feel so cold, but the silence between us seemed suffocating. And as the grandfather clock kept ticking through the stillness, I wished that I could think of the _right thing_ to say.

After a long moment, Quil pulled my hand and held it against his face before gently kissing my palm, "Everything's going to be okay." I sighed and pulled on a watery smile. It was a sweet lie.

I shook my head, "Don't worry about me. I just…it's weird. Really weird."

Jacob twisted his head to look at me. His eyes were rimmed in red as he gulped down air, probably trying to bury any tears, "It's **more** than weird, Eliza...This sucks. This **fucking** sucks."

"I don't feel so good either, but we can't do anything, Jake. Harry's _gone_ ," Quil murmured against my skin. I pulled my hand back to my chest and turned into Quil's chest. It was the only place that seemed safe, right now.

"I gotta go. Go and run. I can't sit here. Quil, take care of my sister…I just…I just can't stay here right now…," Jacob choked out.

"I promise," Quil nodded and tightly held me against him. It was a weird feeling, not having my godbrother trying to pull us apart. I didn't want to deconstruct why he wouldn't. It wasn't the right time for that. And with one last look at us, Jacob ran out of the house out into the unforgiving rain. I heard ripping and a pained howl before silence settled around us again.

I lay listlessly on the sofa and sniffled as Quil got up to close the door. Uncle Billy was silent in the other room. I felt like a broken doll and I didn't know how to fix any of it, that was the most frustrating part of all this.

I leaned my head against Quil's chest when he sat back down. Quil pressed his warm cheek against the top of my head as we listened to the pounding rain. After a while, I figured that it was getting late into the afternoon, even though the darkness outside didn't show it.

"Won't your mom wonder where you are?" I hesitantly asked. I didn't want him to leave, but I knew that he had other loved ones that would, and could, worry about him too.

"I'm not going home. We still haven't caught the bloodsucker, and Harry just died. I think my mom will understand," he murmured against my hair. I felt him nuzzle me and curled into him. It would be okay, I think. I'm not sure, but I was really hoping that everything would get better.


End file.
